Neutron Emissions From Deuterided Metals

Abstract

Evidence is presented for neutrons emanating from partially deuterated titanium foils (TiDx) subjected to non-equilibrium conditions (charged particle results appear in a separate paper in this proceedings). Two types of deuteriding and varied currents were employed to produce the non-equilibrium conditions within the foils, and emissions lasted over long durations. Experiments were conducted in a deep underground tunnel having significant rock overburden to diminish cosmic backgrounds. Subtracting background rates and taking into account detector efficiency, we found the highest net yield to be 57 ± 13 counts/hour. Yields for all runs are reported and the theoretical fusion reaction defined. Totaling all experiments, reproducibility was 40%. 525 526

Charged-Particle Emissions From Deuterided Metals

“…1,5 Note that high-voltage breakdown in neutron-detectors' proportional-counter electronics a decade ago produced some spurious bursts of very high-multiplicity (30 or more putative neutrons in a burst event), 3,6 but here we have verification of low-multiplicity bursts (which were never retracted) in an independent system without high-voltage breakdown. The physical meaning and significance of the charged-particle burst events remains to be determined.…”

“…Finally, the delta-energy in the aluminum degrader is most consistent with protons (see Table 1). The results and SRIM calculations are thus consistent only with protons originating with ∼3-MeV from a region roughly 12 µm deep in a TiD x foil due to the fusion reaction of Equation (1).…”

“…There is a suggestion in the data that electrical current provides more consistent results and higher yields. 1,2 It is possible that other nuclear reactions besides d-d fusion are involved. Also of great importance are detection systems designed for very low counting rates.…”

“…Encouraged by our neutron results, 1 and wishing to also measure chargedparticle emissions, we designed two additional detection systems. The first system incorporated a plastic scintillator mounted on a glass scintillator, mounted in turn on a photo-multiplier tube (PMT).…”