Tibi's exploration of high current sparks

Quote from Tibi.fusion

Such purchases by a LENR enthusiast are considered good tool investments or rather toys to explore with?

Some things you cannot be sure of without them. If I were limited to just one, it would be a gamma spec.

Quote from Tibi.fusion

Should I consider purchasing a radio spectrum analyzer? i.e. TinySa Ultra, range: 100kHz...5.3GHz, ~200$

What would be the use of it? Is there any documented RF spectra of skarks vs. EVOs? What does "Screenshot_20201101_111835_w-wire_fully-extended-antenna.png" represent?

I think the spectrum is too much dependent on the characteristics of the antenna and how the radio waves propagate in the environment to be any useful. At the time I used this RTL-based software-defined radio receiver: https://www.nooelec.com/store/…eivers/nesdr-smartee.html together with this spectrum analyzer software (outdated and buggy): https://github.com/pavels/spektrum

Although in the end I just wrote simplified interfacing software in python that only measured the signal amplitude over time (I don't have that code anymore).

The gray spectrum in the screenshot is that obtained during a plasma electrolysis test, as measured with that device and its fully extended telescopic antenna mast at 40-50 cm distance (if I recall correctly) from the reaction vessel.

Quote from Tibi.fusion

Should I consider purchasing a X-ray(+Gamma) spectrum analyzers? i.e. Radiacode 102, range: 0.02…3 MeV, ~320$

EVO generation produces a "flat" X-Ray spectrum at the low end, with no characteristic peaks? If a metal is in the vicinity, then a characteristic spectra would appear?

I don't have direct experience with them and wouldn't feel comfortable with recommending other people to purchase specific equipment that I have no real idea if it works or not. And, you might end up getting a broad signal similar to the RF one I measured, without any other useful information attached to it.

I mentioned it earlier, but other groups in very loosely related experiments have used "blind", highly amplified photomultiplier tubes (not exposed to any light, but with their end-window covered with aluminum foil or other metal sheets) and when they have a signal, there's a general broadband increase mostly concentrated at low frequencies/energies in the signal spectrum, with some peaks at higher ones of difficult interpretation. Removing the foils also removes most of the signal.

Quote from Tibi.fusion

Such purchases by a LENR enthusiast are considered good tool investments or rather toys to explore with?

I think successful detection with metal foil+X-ray film would give a very probable indication that some sort of anomalous particle emission is actually occurring (assuming no issues with the experimental protocol / x-ray film handling); the only problem is that it doesn't work in real-time. Other methods may be too susceptible to interpretation issues or ordinary electrical/RF noise (although Shoulders and colleagues argued that the RF noise is EVO evidence, so your mileage may vary).

Quote from Tibi.fusion

Not much is happening, only a small spark where the capacitor's wire lands, no secondary discharges. I did add a drop of water. I tried several times to discharge the capacitor, that is why multiple spots are visible on the samples with this brown paper. I tried both papers of the two separators. I also tried the capacitor original electrode enveloped in the paper. The effect is not there using this paper (maybe the paper is to thick and the electrolyte is not low impedance enough so the water layer doesn't suffer dielectric breakdown). The effect is there with the water only method (top 2 samples near the pipette).

It might indeed be that the discharge occurs too slowly with an only mildly conductive film in between, whereas with distilled water the metal surfaces may eventually directly get in contact with each other (~0 ohm) and the capacitor will discharge all of its energy rapidly, limited only by its internal resistance.

But then, for a faster rate of discharge—with possibly larger effects—perhaps a low-ESR capacitor might be more suitable (and more durable) for these tests? But in that case you'll probably have to increase voltage to reach the same energies, at least using typical film/ceramic/pulse capacitors intended for rapid discharge.

I liked this event so posting here!

I can get a crater most of the time, rarely multiple at once, rarely the emissions return and punch a crater in the opposite direction, grounded pin does not seem to influence most events. I used a thicker base plate with lifted edges to retain water then I began to limit the contact points with tape, and then eventually reduced to a 4mm circle to make the event point predictable. I've tried multiple layers of foil, think 3 or 4 were the most I could punch through, Tried with additional foil a few cm above (no witness marks I could see by eye).

Perhaps relevant: Investigation of strange radiation tracks near incandescent lamps and an electrolytic cell