-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] In reply to H Veeder's message
* Maybe it can all be done with shrunken lithium... Lithino ... or maybe the apparent Rossi reaction of Ni58 -> Ni 62 can be accomplished with a known particle, which is halo-lithium or Li-11. This isotope has four excess neutrons - located far away from the nucleus and that is the only reason to mention it - since it can provide a hypothetical model for a (virtual) kind transfer mechanism in one step. (admittedly never before seen in fizzix :-) The look-a-like atom which makes this arguable is composed of Li-7 and four virtual neutrons (DDL) instead of four real neutrons. But given that Li-11 is real, then this explanation cannot be ignored to the extent Bianchini's analysis of the spectacular accumulation of Ni-62 is correct. This is the only way I can imagine avoiding a three or four body reaction to transfer four neutrons, and even then it makes far more sense to say that it cannot happen at all. But we have to cover all the bases, just in case... A halo atom of Li-11 has a short half-life - but perhaps it is long enough for lithium to act as a transfer agent, and perhaps it is longer-lived with virtual neutrons than real neutrons. These would derive from the initial hydrogen being reduced to redundant ground states so there are several miracles involved, including the one where the Li-7 loses a core neutron to become Li-6. Jones
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