Post 10 Bob Higgins stated: *What does "strength" of Rydberg matter, and "match the fusion of proton cooper pairs" mean? These don't make sense. While it may be possible that there is Cooper-pair like coupling of protons, no one has yet explained how, if this occurred, that the LENR transmutations are enabled. Twice the mass and twice the charge doesn't necessarily help.*
Axil Responds: http://arxiv.org/abs/1101.1393v1 *Novel insights into transfer processes in the reaction 16O+208Pb at sub-barrier energies The collision of the doubly-magic nuclei $^{16}$O+$^{208}$Pb is a benchmark in nuclear reaction studies. Our new measurements of back-scattered projectile-like fragments at sub-barrier energies show show that transfer of 2 protons ($2p$) is much more probable than $\alpha$-particle transfer. $2p$ transfer probabilities are strongly enhanced compared to expectations for the sequential transfer of two uncorrelated protons; at energies around the fusion barrier absolute probabilities for two proton transfer are similar to those for one proton transfer. This strong enhancement indicates strong $2p$ pairing correlations in $^{16}$O, and suggests evidence for the occurrence of a nuclear supercurrent of two-proton Cooper pairs in this reaction, already at energies well below the fusion barrier.* ** Quantum mechanics results in some strange and unexpected stuff that is counter intuitive. This reference states that proton pairs will tunnel into a nucleus with a higher probability than does a single proton. Also, the Rydberg ions that Rossi uses in his reactor do not damage the delicate nano-cavities that produce the cooper pairs of protons. They are mild. By contrast, if LeClair’s Rydberg ions got close to the Rossi micro-powder, the powder would be destroyed by electrostatic induced collision between the ion and the powder. Regards: Axil On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 11:51 AM, Bob Higgins <[email protected]>wrote: > Axil, these are interesting posts that will stir our imagination. > However, some of what you said doesn't ring true and some of it I just > don't understand. > > You said: > > *Rossi’s previous work experience includes the development of prototype > thermionic converter, so he should know all about Rydberg matter.* > > I haven't seen this anywhere. I know that Rossi and Leonardo Corp worked > on TE (Thermoelectric, not Thermionic) conversion for the US Military, but > that was solid state Peltier effect devices. I worked for many years with > Peltier devices and never once heard mention of Rydberg effects, because > they are not involved in such devices. I don't think Rossi has any past > experience with Rydberg matter and I have not seen where he mentioned this > in association with his eCat technology. I think it is only your > speculation that Rydberg matter is involved in his process. > > You said: > > *IMHO, both Rossi and DGT use pulsed application of heat as a way to > control the proper hydrogen envelope temperature profile; that is to make > sure that a cold zone is properly maintained.* > > Well, IMHO, Rossi and DGT both use resistive heaters incapable of > providing "pulsed heat" due to the thermal mass. In fact, the high > pressure H2 has tremendous heat capacity and will also make it hard > to create thermal pulsing by any means. I don't believe short time-scale > thermal pulses are being created as a stimulus. > > Early Rossi devices did not use his "frequencies" generator. That > appeared to be an addition to help stimulate the reaction at a lower H2 > pressure where the reaction had less tendency to run out of control. It is > known that the reaction rate increases with temperature and with H2 > pressure. The early eCat reactors were water cooled and used a stainless > steel cell. The thermal resistance in the stainless shell allowed the > temperature of the reactant/H2 to be at 400-600C while the water was only > at 100C; however, it also meant that the ability to extract heat was > limited by the same thermal resistance. Above a critical heat generation > inside the cell, the water cooling could no longer pull out enough heat > through the thermal resistance of the poorly conducting stainless to keep > the temperature of the reactant from rising. This was the thermal > runaway. This caused Rossi to operate at lower H2 pressures to keep the > maximum heat generation below what he could pull out through the stainless > thermal resistance, allowing him to control the temperature from going so > high as to melt the nickel and eliminate the surface properties that > stimulate the reaction. Unfortunately, operation on this threshold of LENR > was tenuous when just based on keeping it at the right temperature. The > reaction is somewhat chaotic (like noise) and it can quickly fall below the > operational threshold when operated so close to threshold. > > Interestingly, DGT operates at noticeably higher H2 pressure, that in > Rossi's case would cause a thermal runaway. DGT has found a means to > rapidly "quench" the reaction (stop it) so that they can control the heat > output. They can turn the quench on and off and get reaction pulses - as > many as they like to get the heat output they want. I have some ideas on > how they do the quenching - and it is not thermal. > > The Rydberg matter seems to be going in the wrong direction. Normal > ground state atoms have a smaller mean orbital radius. Outside of this > radius the atom appears net neutral. If you get inside of this radius, > there is a strong electric field. To get fusion to occur, the nuclei must > be much much closer than the the radius of the the ground state hydrogen > orbital. The + nuclear charge is only screened as long as you are outside > the orbital. In Rydberg atoms, the orbital is HUGE. This allows them to > easily couple and form condensates. However, it also means that the nuclei > cannot get as close to another nucleus as a ground state atom because the > orbital is bigger. The instant you are inside the orbital you have the > nuclear repulsion. From this perspective, Fran's Inverse Rydberg state > (orbital smaller than ground state) makes more sense - it would allow the > nuclei to become closer before the orbital is crossed exposing the > repulsive electrostatic forces. I think the Inverse Rydberg "matter" would > be natually less likely to form a condensate than a ground state atom due > to the shrunken orbital which I think decreases the coupling coefficient. > The Inverse Rydberg state would seem to fit better into a theory of the > solid state effects inside the lattice of nickel or palladium and is going > in the right direction to explain proton insertion into another nucleus. > > Rossi stated that his fuel is a Ni powder with MICRON dimensions - not > nano. To that he adds a secret sauce, likely to be a nanopowder. This > added nanopowder combined on the 1000x larger surface of the Ni powder may > form islands of atoms that could each form a Rydberg like condensate on the > top of the Ni. This in turn could stimulate the catalysis of H2 into H and > funnel it into the Ni lattice. However, I don't believe the Rydberg > formation is known to be the cause of the catalysis, but that would be an > interesting examination. > > You said: > > *A Rydberg condensate can be engineered to vary in potency from very > weak to extremely strong. * > > *Rossi has set the strength of his Rydberg matter to match the fusion of > proton cooper pairs with nickel nuclei.* > > *On the other hand, the Rydberg matter in the LeClair reactor is > extremely powerful.* > > I don't know what any of that means. The "dipole" of the Rydberg is just > a measure of its electron orbital radius and essentially its ability to > couple to other atoms by wrapping around them. The electron is very weakly > bound and is moving relatively slowly. There is no "power" associated with > it or a condensate of these atoms. There is no net charge exposure because > such would mean it is an ion, not a Rydberg atom. There is no observable > oscillation of charge, because that would cause EM radiation that would > quickly cause the electron to drop to a lower energy state. > > What does "strength" of Rydberg matter, and "match the fusion of proton > cooper pairs" mean? These don't make sense. While it may be possible that > there is Cooper-pair like coupling of protons, no one has yet explained > how, if this occurred, that the LENR transmutations are enabled. Twice the > mass and twice the charge doesn't necessarily help. > > In the case of the LeClair reactor, the crystalline formation at extremely > high pressure & mass density is interesting and it is at such tremendous > pressure that, there is a large potential energy in its release. In the > cavitation, plasmas are formed, and it would certainly be possible to find > an intermediate form of matter (Rydberg) between the plasma state and the > ground state for the atoms. It is not clear at all how this is complicit > in LENR. I have not heard a plausible speculation of how Rydberg is > complicit in the act of insertion of protons into another nucleus. > > So, even if there is a Rydberg condensate, how do you eliminate the "magic > happens here" moment that causes the proton insertion into another > nucleus? [BTW, I do believe that they are being inserted in some manner, > but not necessarily as a Rydberg effect.] > > > > >
