There is something slightly illogical (or perhaps disquieting?) in my view regarding the excess amount of heat generated when atomic H recombines to make molecular hydrogen. By all accounts pertaining to what I've read so far it is theorized that the amount of energy released when two atomic hydrogen atoms recombine is on the order of several magnitudes greater than the input energy needed to separate molecular H back into the singular atomic state. Please correct me if I error on this assumption.
If this is indeed the case then it literally suggests a sustainable chain-reaction might be possible. The amount of heat generated during the recombination process ought to generate a sufficient amount of kinetic energy (heat) capable of splitting several nearby hydrogen molecules apart into their individual atomic states. Roughly speaking this process is analogous to what happens during nuclear fission, the splitting of the uranium atom when excess neutrons are generated which, in turn, drives the "chain reaction." On the other hand if so much energy is being released I'm puzzled as to why the ORIGINAL TWO HYDROGEN ATOMS in the process of recombining (and as such in the process releasing prodigious amounts of ZPE energy) aren't THEMSELVES BLOWN APART by the sheer amount of energy they are allegedly extracting from the vacuum. On the surface there seems to be something oddly contradictory about the amount of energy being released and hydrogen atoms recombining back into their preferred molecular state. Obviously, atomic hydrogen atoms recombining and then immediately blowing itself apart doesn't happen since hydrogen prefers to remain in the molecular state. The mystery as I see it is that during the recombination process hydrogen molecules manage to find a way to NOT blow themselves apart. Why don't they fly apart? Despite all the energy allegedly being released what prevents them from fragmenting back into atomic hydrogen. It seems to me that: (one) either claims of excess energy during the recombination process are completely false, that the "excess energy" will later be discovered to have been derived from non-extraordinary conventional sources. Or (two) a yet-to-be explained mechanism is involved that essentially shields two recombining atomic hydrogen atoms from blowing themselves apart as vast quantities of ZPE are being released. While not trying to get Freudian here, I wonder if there may be some kind of a delayed refractory period or timing mechanism involved. Perhaps recombining hydrogen atoms naturally go through some kind of extremely brief recharging/resetting phase before they are once again capable of harnessing ZPE energy. At present, however, I perceive a lot of bugs in this theory. A considerable amount of additional pondering is needed. ;-) Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com
