While what you say is true, Jed, to make detectable heat, a fusion
rate of about 10^9 events/sec would be required. To detect the
radiation, only about 10 events/sec would be needed. Heat is used to
measure radioactive decay, but only when a large amount of the
decaying material is present. The heat F-P detect would require a
reaction rate of about 10^12 events/sec, which as the skeptics pointed
out would produce enough radiation to kill. The skeptics did not
consider that most of this radiation did not have enough energy to
escape the apparatus, which is still not fully appreciated.
Ed Storms
On Jan 4, 2014, at 11:28 AM, Jed Rothwell wrote:
Edmund Storms <[email protected]> wrote:
I agree, Eric, heat is hard to justify and accept. However, ALL
nuclear reactions make heat.
As Martin often pointed out, radioactivity was first detected from
the heat it produces, and calorimetry remains an excellent method of
measuring it.
I do agree that heat is "subtle." I do not think Martin agreed either.
- Jed
