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Energetic Particle Emission in Pd/D Co-deposition: An Undergraduate Research Project to Replicate a New Scientific Phenomenon

Lawrence Forsley and Pamela Mosier-Boss

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In my opinion, this is reprehensible behavior. There are no indications in the paper of any danger arising from potential explosions of the apparati, yet it is *apparently* pretty much an 'original F&P open-cell setup, you know, the one that went up and blew a hole in the floor of their lab... (I say 'apparently' because I can find no explicit figure of the set-up, but tracking back through their referencees I finally found mention that they were using an open cell in their original work, and I assume they did the same for this reported work.)

As I have mentioned several times before, when you electrolyze water and mix the gases, you make an explosive mix. Further, if you believe F&P, (and Szpak, et al) you have a potential nuclear explosive.

And these people exposed 3 groups of undergraduates to the possible exploding apparatus. Wonder what Andrew Riley would say.

Quote from Alan Smith

I expect they were in more danger travelling to the laboratory than they were when working in it,

And you know this how? You know their routes to work and the accident probabilities of their paths how? You know the probabilities of their apparati exploding how? Did you find the supposed supplemental information associated with the paper that supposedly gave more info on their setup (and presumably how to operate it safely)? If you did pleasr let me know where it is because I would like to read it.

Quote from Alan Smith

under the watchful gaze of experienced professional chemists.

Were they? The paper says:

"We provided the students with chemicals, a protocol, and copies of pertinent publications. The students conducted the experiments independently of us"

Sounds like pretty 'independent' work to me. Do you know the extent of the supposed oversight?

Quote from Alan Smith

Much better they stay at home in case the H&S police catch them out without a survival suit on.

Your attitude is highly unprofessional.

The key point:

Quote from Ahlfors

[by chance survived and]

[emphasis added]

Quote from Zeus46

Do you Kirk? ..

No I don't Zeus, and that is the (other) point. it certainly seemed Alan did from the cavalier way he addressed my post, as does yours, so I was seriously wondering how he attained that state of unconcernedness. After your post I can ask the same of you.

Thanks to SOT for the links.

There are also reports that Mizuno had been injured by flying shrapnel (as I recall). Also as I recall the reports came via JR.

The non-CF link is important as it emphasizes the fact that it is the H2/O2 mix that is the problem. This mix is flammable over a wide range of concentrations, and in some cases can be fully explosive, meaning either a deflagration or detonation can occur.

At a minimum, the paper I originally pointed out needed to have that information clearly indicated in it. The lack of that speaks to the quality of the peer review as much as to the safety awareness of the authors.

Quote from Zeus46

From the paper: "Experiments should be conducted in a well ventilated fume hood as D2, O2 and Cl2 gases are generated."

Which tells you nothing about explosive or fire potential. Putting the experiment in a hood does nothing to alleviate those problems.

Quote from Zeus46

Umm.. What? Reference please.

SOT found a good ref to a quote by Russ George. You should read it. That story was what i was referring to, but not to Russ' note, there are other descriptions of this event out in the CF literature. Look them up if you are interested.

Quote from Zeus46

And, lo and behold, the only reference to an F&P 'explosion' is that one by Russ.

http://newenergytimes.com/v2/n…osion/explosion-net.shtml

http://news.newenergytimes.net…reactor-in-your-basement/

An account in Frank CLose's book "Too Hot to Handle: The Race for Cold Fusion"(pp. 79-80):

https://books.google.com/books…hmann%20explosion&f=false

https://www.lesswrong.com/post…old-fusion-real-after-all

(Seach for the word 'explosion' in this and make sure you check the last one, then see who wrote it.)

https://books.google.com/books…hmann%20explosion&f=false

Nuclear Energy ebook Collection: Ultimate CD pps. 4-5 (esp. Table 1.1)

https://books.google.com/books…hmann%20explosion&f=false

The Science of the Cold Fusion Phenomenon: In Search of the Physics and ... By Hideo Kozima

(note that this is the same as the prior ref.)

https://books.google.com/books…hmann%20explosion&f=false

Creations Of Fire: Chemistry's Lively History From Alchemy To The Atomic Age by Cathy Cobb, Harold Goldwhite p. 420

(note they refer here to a 'meltdown' vs. an explosion)

https://books.google.com/books…hmann%20explosion&f=false

The Undergrowth of Science: Delusion, Self-Deception, and Human Frailty

By Walter Gratzer p 116

You are truly dense Zeus46.

No further responses to Zeus on this topic.

Forgot one, sorry folks: http://www.lenr-canr.org/acrobat/BiberianJPunexplaine.pdf

(P.S. The conclusion about the nature of the explosion expressed in the Abstract is wrong IMO.)

Witness of Fleischmann & Pons "Meltdown" (4-inch hole in concrete floor) long before Utah conference

Technical question: How does one distinguish between 'melting' and 'shockwave induced deformation'? Qualification question: Were F&P capable of answering the technical question?

example ref.

Journal of Materials Science

July 2009, Volume 44, Issue 13, pp 3319–3343| Cite as

On the shock compression of polycrystalline metals

N. K. Bourne, J. C. F. Millett, G. T. GrayIII

Abstract

At the present time, materials are being considered for use in increasingly extreme environments; extreme in terms of both the magnitude of the imposed pressures and stresses they encounter and the speed of the loading applied. Recent advances in understanding the continuum behaviour of condensed matter have been made using novel loading and ultrafast diagnostics. This insight has indicated that in the condensed phase, the response is driven by the defect population existing within the microstructure which drives plastic flow in compression as well as damage evolution and failure processes. This article discusses shock compression results, focusing upon research conducted on cubic-structured metals but also giving an overview of results on hexagonal-close-packed (HCP) metals and alloys. In the past, shock physics has treated materials as homogeneous continua and has represented the compressive behaviour of solids using an adaptation of solid mechanics. It is clear that the next generation of constitutive models must treat physical mechanisms operating at the micro- and mesoscale to adequately describe metals for applications under extreme environments. Derivation of such models requires idealized modes of loading which limits the range of hydrostatic or impact driven experimental techniques available to four principle groups. These are laser-induced plasma loading, Z pinch devices, compressed gas and powder-driven launchers and energetic drives and diamond anvil cells (DACs). Whilst each technique or device discussed brings unique advantages and core competencies, it will be shown that launchers are most capable of covering the spectrum of important and relevant mechanisms since only they can simultaneously access the material microstructural ‘bulk’ dimensions and timescales that control behaviour observed at the continuum. Shock experiments on a selection of metals whose response is regarded as typical are reviewed in this article, and sensors and techniques are described that allow the interpretation of the compression that results from idealized step loading on a target. Real-time imaging or X-ray techniques cannot at present access bulk states at the correct microstructural resolution, over a macroscopic volume or at rates that would reveal mechanisms occurring. It is controlled recovery experiments that provide the link between the microstructure and the continuum state that facilitates understanding of the effect of mesoscale properties upon state variables. Five metals are tracked through various shock-loading techniques which show the following characteristic deformation features; a low Peierls stress and easy slip allow FCC materials to develop dislocation cells and work-harden during the shock process, whereas the higher resistance to dislocation motion in BCC-structured materials and the lower symmetry in HCP metals slows the development of the microstructure and favours deformation twinning as an additional deformation mechanism to accommodate shock compression. Thus not only energy thresholds, but also operating kinetics, must be understood to classify the response of metals and alloys to extreme loading environments. Typical engineering materials possess a baseline microstructure but also a population of defects within their volumes. It is the understanding of these statistical physical relationships and their effects upon deformation mechanisms and defect storage processes that will drive the development of materials for use under extreme conditions in the future.