Path: santra!tut!draken!kth!mcvax!uunet!lll-winken!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!iuvax!silver!commgrp
From: commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: sci.physics
Subject: Pons fusion lecture at Indiana
Message-ID: <5700012@silver>
Date: 5 Apr 89 15:18:00 GMT
Organization: Indiana University CSCI, Bloomington
Lines: 65
Nf-ID: #N:silver:5700012:000:2601
Nf-From: silver.bacs.indiana.edu!commgrp    Apr  5 10:18:00 1989




Dr. Stanley Pons from U. of Utah spoke at Indiana University 
(Bloomington) and IUPUI (Indianapolis) on 4 April.  The lecture was 
televised over the IU campus closed-circut tv cable and I videotaped 
it.  [Don't ask; I have no copying facilities.]

News-media representatives were present, and the lecture was followed 
by a press conference (which I did not see or videotape).

The lecture was apparently similar to the one given at Utah a few days 
ago and summarized on the net.

I'm a EE, not a chemist of physicist.  Here are a few notes which I 
made while watching the tape:

The experiments began as an investigation of electrochemical methods 
for making metallic hydrogen.  When calculations suggested that 
pressures greater than 10**18 atmospheres were attainable, they 
decided to look for fusion of light nuclei.

No chemical process explains the amount of heat generated. The 
discrepancy between heat output and neutron flux is still unexplained.
10**4 neutrons per second have been observed in some experiments. 
Neutron and gamma ray energies are as predicted for fusion reactions.

Thermal output is proportional to volume, not surface area, of the 
palladium electrode.  Thin palladium wires now being used operate at 
less than break-even energy output.

No nuclear reactions were observed when platinum was used instead of 
palladium.  Future experiments will use carbon electrodes.

The electrolytic cell contains reference electrodes and thermistor 
probes in addition to the main electrodes.  Dr. Pons says that his
calorimetry methods are extremely precise.

After the apparatus "ignited" and damaged a fume hood, background 
radiation in the area was three times the previous level. Ten percent 
of the palladium was recovered.  This event happened several years 
ago.

Initial charging time depends upon the cross-sectional area of the 
palladium electrode. Thin wires require a few days, a 1-cm rod takes 
months.

Deuterium exists inside the palladium as deuterons, which are mobile.
Poisoning the surface of the palladium to limit gas production is 
expected to allow the metal to absorb dueterium faster.

Dr. Pons said that they decided to go public because of widespread 
rumors.  "We talked too much," he said.

In addition to the warnings previously posted, Dr. Pons warns against 
trying the experiment with tritium, which reacts much faster than 
deuterium.  He urges all experimenters attempting to duplicate the  

experiment to contact him first (for safety reasons) and to observe 
radiation safety precautions.

--

Frank Reid
reid@gold.bacs.indiana.edu