Joint General Colloquium sponsored by Department of Physics and School of Nuclear Engineering Thursday March 4, 2010, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Physics Building Room 203 (PHYS 203) (Refreshments at 3:30 PM in PHYS 242)
Professor Yeong E. Kim Purdue University "Nuclear Fusion in Micro/Nano-Scale Metal Particles" Two decades ago, Fleischmann and Pons reported excess heat generation in electrolysis experiment using heavy water and Palladium cathodes. Since then, many others have reported experimental observations of excess heat generation and anomalous nuclear reactions occurring in metals at ultra-low energies, now known as 'low-energy nuclear reactions' (LENR). After a review of the key experimental observations, theoretical explanations of the LENR phenomena will be described based on the theory of Bose-Einstein condensation of nuclear fusion (BECNF) in micro/nano-scale metal particles [1, 2]. The BECNF theory is based on a single assumption capable of explaining the observed LENR phenomena; deuterons in metals undergo Bose-Einstein condensation. While the BECNF theory is able to make general qualitative predictions concerning LENR phenomena it is also a quantitative predictive physical theory. Proposed experimental tests of theoretical predictions will be described. Some of the theoretical predictions have been confirmed by experiments reported recently. Although the BECNF theory indicates possibilities of scaling up heat generation under optimal conditions, experimental tests of theoretical predictions are needed for confirmation, improvement of the BECNF theory and to clarify potential practical applications. In view of the impending world energy crisis, the proposed experimental tests of the BECNF processes are urgently needed as LENR phenomena may well represent a viable long-term alternative form of clean energy. [1] Y. E. Kim, "Theory of Bose-Einstein condensation mechanism for deuteron-induced nuclear reactions in micro/nano-scale metal grains and particles", Naturwissenschaften 96, 803-811 (2009), and references therein. [2] Y. E. Kim, "Bose-Einstein condensate theory of deuteron fusion in metal", Purdue Nuclear and Many-Body Theory Group (PNMBTG) Preprint PNMBTG-1-10 (January 2010) (to be published in American Institute of Physics (AIP) Proceedings, 2010), and references therein. PDF-files of both [1] and [2] are available at: <http://www.physics.purdue.edu/people/faculty/yekim.shtml>http://www.physics.purdue.edu/people/faculty/yekim.shtml
