There have been a number of recent updates to <http://
www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/GlowExper.pdf>. Of specific interest to
the person who forwarded the original question to Bill Beaty
regarding the cell electroluminescence, is the following updated
section:
ELECTRON-HOLE ANNIHILATION HYPOTHESIS
The above conjectures are exciting, but not the simplest or most
credible. A more credible hypothesis is that the glow comes from
electron-hole annihilation at the interface between the electrolyte
and the oxide coating.
The oxide layer that is effective in producing the glow becomes
black, i.e. non-reflective, when it becomes effective[4]. A similar
effect was noted by Steiner when making negative resistance layer on
zinc. [8] A reasonable hypothesis then is that the black semi
conductive oxide layer forms the basis for both negative resistance,
the diode effect, and when combined with a transparent cathode like
an electrolyte,
the glow effect. The oxide layer then is acting like an N-type
semiconductor conducting in reverse-bias, i.e. conducting with the
minority charge carrier, conducting via holes. When an electron is
stripped from an OH- and then annihilates with a hole, a photon is
produced (possibly two, with only one visible.) The electrolyte is
thus acting like a P-type semiconductor in reverse bias, i.e.
conducting with the minority charge carrier, conducting via holes.
The reverse bias operation of the electrolyte-oxide system is thus
exactly the opposite of the forward current operation of a standard
LED. The direction of the photon energy is reversed. Electrons from
the transparent cathode (the electrolyte) annihilate with holes in
the oxide anode. When electrons and positrons annihilate, in order
to maintain conservation of momentum, two photons are created having
exactly opposed moment, i.e. directions. Perhaps the same happens
with electron-hole annihilation, and, given the electrolyte is the
transparent electrode, we simply see the opposite photon from the one
we see in an LED.
One problem with this hypothesis is that the glow color seems
relatively constant, despite a range of electrode materials. The
glow color should change, depending on the hole energy.
It is possible that both electron-hole annihilation and energetic
free proton effects are happening in the blue-green glow creating
interphase.
Horace Heffner
