FYI: In order to facilitate the discussion and allow those viewing via the Vortex-L Mail Archive Site, here is an image of the typeset paragraphs from the paper:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8JYGNuoJRzFWFNnaVhjY0VRZVU/view From: Mark Jurich Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2015 12:13 PM To: Vortex-L Subject: [Vo]:An Argument for a 2.3 pm Inter-nuclear Distance in D(0) (latest Holmlid-Olafsson paper) A recent paper (article in press) has appeared (about a month ago?), submitted just before the Olafsson talks in the SF Bay Area, a couple months ago: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360319915304687 In it, the authors attempt to address an argument posed by some that an Inter-nuclear Distance of 2.3 pm in D(0) is unphysical, and I thought I would open this up to comment/debate on Vortex-L (section of paper reproduced as best as possible, below): Contrary to expectation, the argument that the measured short distances in D(0) (in general H(0)) are unphysical is sometimes met. The basic idea behind this argument appears to be that the inter-nuclear Coulomb repulsion would prevent the clusters to reach such small inter-nuclear distances. Amazingly, the same argument is also put forward for the electrons, which are said to repel each other strongly. In Ref. [1] these points are already answered: “A pair D-D or p-p contains two electrons and two ions. No inner electrons of course exist for hydrogen, and thus the ions are bare protons or deuterons, of very small size relative to the pm sized interparticle distances. The pair-wise interactions between the four particles, with the interaction distances of similar size, are two repulsive terms (++ and --) and four attractive terms (+-). Thus, such a pair increases its stability with shorter distance scale as 1/r. At a typical inter-particle distance of 2.3 pm, the total electrostatic energy is of the order of 1 keV thus a bound state. With different spin states for the two electrons, they may fill the same space and one of the repulsive terms (--) disappears effectively. Thus, the stability of a pair of atoms in the ultra-dense form is increased by different electron spin states.” Of course, the bound state energy of 1 keV is directly calculable from the Coulomb energy terms. To clear the thinking, consider that each positive nuclei in the D-D pair is closer to its electron, thus giving two almost neutral entities. In that case, there are no repulsive forces of importance at all, and the system can be shrunk at will, always keeping the attractive (+-) distances smaller than the repulsive distances. This means that there is no electrostatic problem to form a D-D pair of pm size. Such a D-D pair can shrink transiently almost indefinitely to a neutral particle of nuclear size. Since the deuterons are bosons, and the electrons which are fermions pair with different spins in the same volume, there is neither any quantum mechanical effects which prevent the formation of a pair D-D in D(0). It must be remembered that the D(0) material is not a plasma but a condensed material formed by pairs D-D attached together in chain clusters [1]. Such clusters have the form D subscript(2N) with the D-D pairs rotating around the central axis of the cluster [5]. A related problem is the nature of the cluster bonding. It is apparent from the numerous studies that D(0) is in a stationary state, since otherwise the bond distance would vary strongly in the experiments. That D(0) is in a stationary state means that the applicable Heisenberg uncertainty relation is (Delta E)(Delta t) >= h-bar/2, with Delta t large (at least seconds - weeks [34]) and thus Delta E small. Thus, there is no fundamental quantum mechanical effect which prevents the formation of stable D(0) with its 2.3 pm bond distances. [1] Holmlid L. Excitation levels in ultra-dense hydrogen p(1) and d(1) clusters: structure of spin-based Rydberg Matter. Int J Mass Spectrom 2013;352:1-8. [5] Holmlid L. Experimental studies and observations of clusters of Rydberg matter and its extreme forms. J Clust Sci 2012;23:5-34. [34] Badiei S, Andersson PU, Holmlid L. Production of ultra-dense deuterium, a compact future fusion fuel. Appl Phys Lett 2010;96:124103. Mark Jurich
