Ed--Bob Cook here Thanks for you response. I need a little more time to think about your ideas. I need to look at the respective products you identify and the likely other respective fission pieces to see if I agree with what you say makes sense. Just roughly thinking, I would expect a neutron or 2 and maybe an alpha in such a fission process.
Is there a good reference on what you call rules of nuclear chemistry? Bob Cook ----- Original Message ----- From: Edmund Storms To: vortex-l@eskimo.com Cc: Edmund Storms Sent: Friday, February 07, 2014 2:23 PM Subject: Re: [Vo]:MIT Course Day 5 -- NiH Systems On Feb 7, 2014, at 12:54 PM, Bob Cook wrote: Ed-- One simple question--In all the Ni-H systems has there been a good evaluation of the residuel radioactivity? Bob, evidence shows that when Pd or Ni experience transmutation, the resulting nucleus breaks into two parts. These two parts are not radioactive. In other words, the system tries to dissipate all the energy while producing nuclei that have no residual energy, i.e. are not radioactive. Addition of 2(p-e-p) to Ni results is a distribution of stable products, with O, Mg, Si, S Ca, and Ti being the most frequent. Si is matched with S. Prompt alpha emission also occurs leaving behind Ni. This process results from the normal rules of nuclear chemistry. NO copper isotopes are formed. The detected copper has normal isotopic composition, which is not possible to produce from transmutation. I suspect copper results from contamination by materials in the cell. If copper formed, the nucleus would have no way to dissipate the energy, which is essential. What do you mean by " fragmentation" and "Ni fission"? For example, what are possible fission products? Lighter isotopes which are radioactively stable? Is the fission process like the reaction of a neutron with U-235 producing fragments with kinetic energy, or do the fragments merely stay put. However, If what you suggest happens, i.e. the introduction of d to the Ni nuclei, why not the following reactions?: Ni-58 goes to Cu-60 (radioactive) Ni-60 goes to Cu-62 (radioactive) Ni-61 goes to Cu-63 (stable) Ni-62 goes to Cu-64 (radioactive) and Ni-64 goes to Cu-66 (radioactive). All the radioactive Cu isotopes emit electrons or positrons and additional x-rays or soft gammas to boot, in addition to the .51 mev x-ray associated with positrons-electron reaction. Cu short-lived activity should be seen if the D-Ni reaction occurs. Rossi and Focardi did not appear to advocate such reactions. And I would have estimated that they would have looked for them. Remember they indicated no residual activity and did not mention the P-e-P reaction in their patent application. . This is true. They clearly have no understanding of nuclear chemistry. They saw transmutation produced and from this observation ASSUMED that heat resulted from transmutation because they found the p-e-p reaction impossible to explain. My approach is to violate as few basic laws as possible and to find an internally consistent process. That goal involves d-e-d, d-e-p and p-e-p type reactions. In addition, transmutation requires energy that is only available from the fusion reaction. These conclusions lead logically to a model that can explain all observations without ad hoc assumptions or using novel processes. Unfortunately, the justification and details require a book to explain, so don't expect a proof here. Ed Storms Focardi must surely have known about it--the P-e-P reaction. Everything I have heard Focardi say and write has made sense to me and has seemed to be without obfuscation. (I cannot say this for hot fusion advocates and the APS establishment.) However, it would not be the first time I was wrong. A mentor once said "it takes $1,000,000 worth of mistakes to make a good engineer," and that was in the late 60's. Luckily I do not have to worry about the issues Hagelstein and others make about my future career. Bob Cook ----- Original Message ----- From: Edmund Storms To: vortex-l@eskimo.com Cc: Edmund Storms Sent: Friday, February 07, 2014 10:32 AM Subject: Re: [Vo]:MIT Course Day 5 -- NiH Systems Bob and Eric, the issue of transmutation is basic to understanding LENR. First of all, transmutation has a very high barrier requiring an explanation of how this can be overcome. Second, the resulting energy has to be dissipated in ways known to be possible. I propose the hydrogen fusion process provides the required energy and dissipates much of the excess mass-energy. In other words, transmutation can not occur unless fusion is taking place at the same time and place in the material. We now know that two kinds of transmutation occur. Iwamura shows that D can be added to a target resulting in a stable heavier product. Most other claims for transmutation are based on fragments of Pd being found. Explaining these two different results is the challenge. In the case of Ni+H, I propose the p-e-p fusion process deposits the resulting d in the Ni nucleus, resulting in fragmentation of the product in order to dissipate the excess mass-energy. I believe 2d enter all isotopes of Ni when the fusion reaction is operating. As a result, the 1.9 MeV obtained from the p-e-p reaction is added to any energy resulting from occasional transmutation. When the Ni fissions, it must conserve n and p, which produces a distribution of products that can be calculated. This calculation shows a distribution that is consistent with what is reported and reveals Ni-58 to be the most active isotope for energy production. I will provide much more detail and justification in my book. Meanwhile, you might consider this proposed process. I propose transmutation takes place in the Rossi cell, but he has incorrectly identified its source and incorrectly attributed the energy to transmutation. I propose most energy results from p-e-p=d fusion, with transmutation resulting from fission of Ni adding only a minor amount of energy. If this is the case, focus on Ni is a waste of time. Ed Storms On Feb 7, 2014, at 10:39 AM, Bob Cook wrote: Eric-- Your bring up some interesting questions about the Rossi reactor. The information I have included come from Rossi and Focardi's international patent application noted below. 1. Is Rossi separating Ni isotopes for the Ni he uses in the reactor? This would be expensive. The natural isotopic abundances are: Ni-58, 68.08%; Ni-59, 0%--its radioactive with 1/2 life of 80,000 years; Ni 60, 26.22%; Ni-61, 1.14%; Ni-62, 3.63%; Ni-63, 0%--its radioactive with 1/2 life of 92 years; Ni-64, 0.93%. I would pick Ni-60 because it is more than one transmutation (Ni-proton fusion) away from a radioactive residue. 2. Is there radioactive ash (Ni-59 or Ni-63) left in the spent reactors? Rossi and Focardi seem to contradict themselves with the statements below: "...we believe that form of energy involved is nuclear, and more specifically, due to fusion processes between protons and Nickel nuclei. They are exothermic with an energy release in the range 3-7,5 MeV, depending on the Nickel isotope involved." "No radioactivity has been found also in the Nickel residual from the process." This information attributed to Focardi and Rossi comes from their instructive statements, which suggest the nuclear Ni-proton fusion, in the following paper: A new energy source from nuclear fusion S. Focardi(1) and A. Rossi(2)--(1)Physics Department Bologna University and INFN Bologna Section, (2)Leonardo Corp. (USA) - Inventor of the Patent, March 22, 2010 (international patent publication N. WO 2009/125444 A1) My final observation is that the Rossi-Focardi comment that there is no radioactivity in the residue needs to be checked. Other Ni-hydrogen materials that have been produced by other experimenters should be carefully checked for both the potential radioactive Ni isotopes---Ni-59 and Ni-63. They should be easy to detect given their well known decay modes and probable gamma emissions. (I will look up this information and put it in a subsequent comment.) I know that both Ni-59 and Ni-63 are problems when it comes to nuclear waste disposal of activated metals.) A null radioactivity essay would be revealing as to the process actually occurring in the Ni-hydrogen reactions. Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: Eric Walker To: vortex-l@eskimo.com Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2014 7:45 PM Subject: Re: [Vo]:MIT Course Day 5 -- NiH Systems On Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 2:26 PM, Bob Cook <frobertc...@hotmail.com> wrote: Also I suspect that the nano Ni that is produced is pretty pure. That may be why Rossi uses it and may be the reason other researchers do not have very good luck at getting a good reaction. I'm guessing that the purity of Rossi's nickel (in terms of 62Ni and 64Ni) is related to avoiding beta-plus and beta-minus decay, and, with beta-plus decay, the 511 keV positron-electron annihilation photons. Some vorts may enjoy this video of a small cloud chamber [1]. It's remarkable that such a small event can have macroscopic effects. Eric [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQVMrkJYShc