Look at this, from:
http://www.newenergytimes.com/DOE/2004-DOE-ReviewerComments.pdf
Quote:
"16 (a) The paper by Iwamura et al. presented at ICCF10 (Ref. 47 in DOE31) does an exhaustive job of using a variety of modern analytical chemistry methods to identify elements produced on the surface of coated Pd cold-fusion foils. There are two very unusual aspects of this work: (i) The energy source is gas pressure, permeation of D2 gas through the foils into vacuum. (ii) The claim is made that if Cs is coated on the metal surface, it is converted into Pr; if Sr is coated on the metal surface, it is converted into Mo. The analytical results, from a variety of techniques, such as mass spectroscopy and electron spectroscopy, are very nice. It seems difficult at first glance to dispute the results. However, the Japanese workers conclude, not that the elements in question are constituents from the interior of the
Pd that migrated to the surface, but that they are the products of sequential nuclear reactions, in which changes of atomic number and atomic mass of 4 and 8 are preferred.
From a nuclear physics perspective, such conclusions are not to be believed. The energetics of merging two deuterons in a fusion reaction are tough enough. Merging four deuterons with a heavy nucleus such as Pd is not to be believed, especially when no evidence is presented for any nuclear products such as Y, Zr, and Nb that are between Sr and Mo. Yet people in the cold-fusion community are citing this paper as further evidence for exotic new nuclear phenomena."
It is "not to be believed"! But we are supposed to believe, with no questions asked, that the "constituents from the interior of the Pd that migrated to the surface" even though:
1. The gas was flowing the other way. 2. Bulk mass spectroscopy showed there are no such constituents. 3. The isotopes are not natural.
This is handwaving. Theory says it cannot happen, so damn the facts. And these people call themselves scientists!
- Jed
