Looking at the SPAWAR presentation at the Duncan seminar recently, I
see slides of effects visible from a piezoelectric detector, perhaps
sound from the mini-explosions that create the melted palladium
featuress. That is something that might be cheap to do; likewise
there are the IR emissions, and if there is something in the visible
or near-IR, I think we have a winner. Anyone know?
Perhaps the CR-39 is a window in the cell, with the cathode
contacting it directly. Thus, until the CR-39 gets too fogged, if it
does, we can see the cathode surface directly with little or no
intervening electrolyte.
What happens if the anode is also silver?
What happens to a cell with modest palladium plating that is
reversed, i.e., the cathode becomes the anode? If I'm correct, the
palladium plating dissolves and is deposited on the new cathode.
However, if the plating flakes off and falls to the bottom of the
cell, it is lost, I think. Unless the cathode is at the bottom of the
cell.... there is an argument for the cathode on the bottom configuration.....
Other ideas with the CR-39 window: any cheap electronic radiation
detectors? We'd be looking for bursts correlated with activity in the
visible/IR and signals from the piezo detector.
