Xref: utzoo sci.physics:6772 sci.chem:69 sci.research:861 sci.space:10471
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!hc!lanl!beta!mwj
From: mwj@beta.lanl.gov (William Johnson)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.chem,sci.research,sci.space
Subject: Reactions described in the Pons seminar summary
Summary: Yes, the nuclear physics doesn't make sense.  As for the chemistry...
Keywords: cold fusion, notes.
Message-ID: <24015@beta.lanl.gov>
Date: 3 Apr 89 14:58:34 GMT
References: <1495@wasatch.UUCP> <3604@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 36

In article <3604@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>, chiaravi@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Lucius Chiaraviglio) writes:
> In article <1495@wasatch.UUCP> ch-tkr@wasatch.UUCP (Timothy K Reynolds) writes:
> >            No 2.45Mev neutrons were detected.  He speculated that these
> >            neutrons may be consumed by reaction with Li:
[...]
> 	Neither of these equations is balanced --[...]

Apparently the posting you cite was garbled, because you are obviously right.
However, I would like to point out that the most mystifying thing about the
Fleischmann-Pons experiment -- and many things about it are mystifying -- is
that *none* of the nuclear physics makes sense.  I say this not implying that
F&P don't know what they are talking about, but rather that many things about
the experiment -- notably the enormous dearth of neutrons observed relative to
the energy allegedly released -- fly in the face of what we *think* we know
about (d,d) reactions.  Until we have a better idea of just what is happening
in this experiment, I would take any and all postings dealing with reaction
mechanisms with a large grain of salt.

> 	My other question is:  these people used a cell with palladium and
> platinum electrodes and heavy water.  Where would the lithium come from?  I
> didn't hear any mention of lithium in the electrodes or in the solution
> before this article that I am replying to.

This one is a lot easier.  The lithium was added (as deuterated lithium
hydroxide, 0.1 molar solution) before the start of the experiment, probably
to make sure that the solution was a nice, highly-conductive electrolyte.
(Distilled water, remember, isn't very good at carrying a current.)  Whether
the lithium participates from a nuclear point of view -- i.e., is required
for the cell to work -- is completely unclear to us kibitzers; it would be
interesting to hear the F&P viewpoint on this.

-- 
"One thing they don't tell you about doing	| Bill Johnson
experimental physics is that sometimes you	| Los Alamos Nat'l Laboratory
must work under adverse conditions ... like	| {!cmcl2!lanl!mwj}
a state of sheer terror." (W. K. Hartmann)	| (mwj@lanl.gov)