Suggested Experiments

List of Proposed Experiments

Based on the theory on condensed plasmoids (CPs) we are proposing the following experiments:

1. Reinterpretation and Reevaluation of Fleischmann-Pons-Type Electrolysis Experiments
2. Reinterpretation and Reevaluation of Hydrogen-Loaded Metal Powder Experiments
3. Condensed-Plasmoid-Induced Double Electron Capture
4. Condensed-Plasmoid-Induced Beta-Minus Decay
5. Condensed-Plasmoid-Induced Alpha-Decay
6. Condensed-Plasmoid-Induced Fusion of Aluminum
7. LENR without Hydrogen and Metal
8. Collimated X-Ray Pulses Directed by the Magnetic Field
9. "Death Knell" Signature of CPs
10. The Pseudo-Ferromagnetic Properties of CPs
11. Electrical Properties of a Spark, Nuclear Energy Feedback
12. Shielding Properties of Various Materials against the Emission of CPs

Terms of Cooperation

The CP Research Group is seeking to cooperate with other research groups on performing these experiments. If you are interested in cooperating with us, please send us an email.

Detailed descriptions of individual experiments and their goals will be made available to our potential cooperation partners.

The experiments are aiming to provide a better understanding of the basic physical mechanisms of LENR, rather than attempting to build a high-yield LENR reactor.

We will try our best to support you during the experiments and subsequent documentation.

We would like to share the results (including null-results) of the experiments openly with the public. We would also like to engage different research groups with different experiments, so that they will all be covered at the end. For this purpose, we would like to display the names of the research groups on this web page, which have committed to the respective experiment. Or at least we want to display the fact, that the experiment is being performed by a (yet to be disclosed) research group.

Potential Hazards and Safety Precautions

The experiments suggested and described in this document require a high level of precautions from the experimentalists, because these experiments involve high voltages, vacuum, explosive oxyhydrogen gas, x-ray radiation, UV radiation, strong electromagnetic pulses, emission of CPs ("strange radiation") and creation of thermal energy with a high power density.

It is recommended to perform these experiments in a Faraday cage with proper shielding against the said types of radiation. For safety reasons the experiments should not be performed without having good radiation detectors in place, especially for "strange radiation", i.e. CPs escaping the enclosure.

The enclosure should also protect against explosions caused by sudden releases of nuclear energy. The latter is especially important with electrolysis experiments. The amount of electrolyte should be kept as small as possible, because its water content is a nuclear fuel and can produce steam pressure.

Specification of the Electric Pulses Required for Generating CPs

The suggested experiments are all requiring a programmable high-voltage/high-current pulse generator, which is able to produce sub-microsecond unipolar pulses. Such a pulse generator is under development by the CP Research Group.

Ideally one would like to know how much current is needed for producing CPs. In light of the simulation results it seems plausible that a CPs is carrying an intrinsic current of maybe up to 10 kA.

However, the initial external current driven into the condensed-plasmoid-generating electric discharge presumably does not need to be so high, maybe only several hundred to several thousand ampere. This is, because during the condensation phase the CPs are presumably self-increasing their intrinsic current according to the nuclear energy feedback hypothesis.

In lack of experimental experience no precise specification of the required current strength is possible at this point in time. The pulse generator (under development) is targeting for a programmable output current of up to 2 kA. Depending on the impedances of the transmission line and the electric discharge gap the maximum current translates to a voltage of 2 kV, assuming an impedance of 1 Ohm. The pulse generator under development will have to limit the output voltage to 2-3 kV, because of the rating of the chosen MOSFET switches.

It is clear, that the pulse duration should be made as short as technically possible. Sub-microsecond pulses are easily achievable with current technology. The longer the pulses are the more energy is wasted into ohmic heat, leading to a poor COP (coefficient of power). The ohmic heat is also counterproductive for the condensation process, because it causes thermal back-pressure. Short pulses may even be instrumental in closing the loop of CPs, which is required for their longevity.

The repetition rate of the pulses is limited by the mean power one wants to inject into the experiment. It is also limited by the decay time of ionization in the experiment. After each pulse there will be ionized matter between the electrodes, which will provide a conductive channel. This channel may be too wide for the plasmoids to condense. Therefore there needs to be enough time between the pulses, so that the ionization can decay. The pulse generator (under development) is targeting for a programmable repetition rate of up to 100 Hz.

The pulse generator needs to be designed in a way that it does not short-circuit a DC bias voltage (positive or negative) applied to the electrodes. Such bias voltage can be desirable for certain types of experiments.

Reinterpretation and Reevaluation of Fleischmann-Pons-Type Electrolysis Experiments

Rationale

In LENR research it is often assumed, that the nuclear reaction takes place in the lattice of a metal. It is therefore typically assumed, that the metal has to be loaded with the largest possible amount of hydrogen in order to maximize the energy output.

The said assumptions have proven themselves to be insufficient for predicting the energy output of a LENR experiment. The success of the experiments seems to depend on some "magic factors", which are not always present and which can fade away during the course of the experiments.

In light of the theory on CPs a reinterpretation of Fleischmann-Pons-type electrolysis experiments is suggested here. It is suggested that the said "magic factor" equates to CPs, which have to be present in the experiments in order to conduct nuclear reactions. The CPs in the classical Fleischmann-Pons experiment were by chance introduced to the cathode by means of microsparks.

These microsparks might have been overlooked by Fleischmann and Pons and other experimentalists, but they were already seen by Takaaki Matsumoto in 1995. His article is rather revealing and is recommended to read [1].

In Fleischmann-Pons-type electrolysis of heavy water there is a thin sheath of electrolyte around the palladium cathode, which is depleted of ions by the electric field. The cations are pulled towards the cathode and become neutralized by electrons from the cathode. The anions are pushed away from the cathode. In consequence, there is a "cathode fall" were a good portion of the cathode-anode voltage drops in the thin sheath of mostly water, which surrounds the cathode.

When the electrolyses voltage is made high enough (presumably to achieve the required current density), there will be frequent electrical discharges ("microsparks") from the cathode through the depletion sheath into the electrolyte. These discharges are creating little plasmoids with very high current pulses, because the depletion sheath acts as the dielectric of a supercapacitor formed by the cathode and the electrolyte.

Presumably, some of the plasmoids will then condense to closed-loop CPs and fall back to the cathode surface. There, the CPs will produce heat and will ionize craters into the surface of the cathode, as has been observed already by Zhang and Dash in 2007 [2].

The goal of the suggested set of experiments is to create CPs (by enforced microsparks) at the cathode with high reproducibility. Another goal is to vary the conditions during the experiments in such way, that the deuterium loading of the palladium cathode and the mean current density can be chosen in a wide range, thereby demonstrating that excess heat generation does neither depend on a high load factor, nor a high mean current density nor the generation of deuterium gas via electrolysis.

If successful, the experiment may shed light on some other fundamental dependencies: The role of deuterium versus protium, the reason behind the "heat-after-death" effect, the role of palladium as a cathode material versus other metals, the role of lithium hydroxide as the preferred electrolyte, the source of the radio frequency noise emitted by Fleischmann-Pons electrolysis, the root cause of the cathode craters, to name just a few.

Reinterpretation and Reevaluation of Hydrogen-Loaded Metal Powder Experiments

Rationale

In LENR research it is often assumed, that the nuclear reaction takes place in the lattice of a metal. It is therefore typically assumed, that the metal has to be loaded with the largest possible amount of hydrogen in order to maximize the energy output.

In conjunction with experiments involving metal powder and hydrogen it is also often assumed, that the reaction rate increases with the total surface area of the particles. A flavor of this assumption is that nano-particles are instrumental for the reaction.

The said assumptions have proven themselves to be insufficient for predicting the energy output of a LENR experiment. The success of the experiments seems to depend on some "magic factors", which are not always present and which can fade away during the course of the experiments.

In light of the theory on CPs a reinterpretation of key metal powder experiments is suggested here. It is suggested that the said "magic factor" equates to CPs, which have to be present in the experiments in order to conduct nuclear reactions. The CPs in classical powder experiments were somehow by chance introduced to the powder, either during the preparation of the powder or during some sort of stimulation done to it during the experiment.

The goal of the suggested set of experiments is to create CPs in situ during the run of the experiment. It is believed that this way, the energy output will be increased, the reproducibility will be enhanced and the working temperature of the reactor can be controlled. It is further believed that the properties of the powder become less important, if enough CPs are attached to the powder particles.

CP-Induced Double Electron Capture

Rationale

It is a known fact in nuclear physics, that the electron density around a nucleus can effect the electron capture rate of nuclei, which tend to decay via electron capture or beta plus.

The extreme electron densities in CPs will likely increase the electron caption rate significantly. This may lead to nuclear reactions, which normally don't occur in nature:

The said types of reactions are based on weak interaction. No Coulomb barrier needs to be surpassed and no fusion or fission is involved.

The experiment needs to be done with pure nickel electrodes or with pure zinc electrodes in a vacuum chamber. Creating CPs via strong vacuum sparks between the electrodes is supposed to conduct the transmutations. The reactions will be occurring in a very clean environment, where only one chemical element is present initially.

If successful, the results of the experiment will provide strong indication for extreme electron densities in the vicinity of the nuclei, which underwent transmutations. It will partially answer the question, why in LENR no radioactive elements are created and why the 511 keV positron-electron annihilation radiation is so rarely seen in LENR experiments.

CP-Induced Beta Minus Decay

Rationale

According to the altered weak interaction hypothesis [6] it is speculated that the high electron density and current density in CPs effect/accelerate beta minus decay. However, the mechanism of such reaction is not understood. Condensed-plasmoid-accelerated beta minus decay could help to explain, why so few radioactive isotopes and neutrons are produced by LENR.

The accelerated beta minus decay, if it indeed occurs, can be verified by exposing indium to CPs for extensive amounts of time and analyzing the reaction products, if there are any:

Alternatively one could try to induce double beta minus decay by exposing observationally stable isotopes to CPs:

The said types of reactions are based on weak interaction. No Coulomb barrier needs to be surpassed and no fusion or fission is involved.

The experiment needs to be done with pure indium electrodes or with pure cadmium electrodes in a vacuum chamber. Creating CPs via strong vacuum sparks between the electrodes is supposed to conduct the transmutations. The reactions will be occurring in a very clean environment, where only one chemical element is present initially.

CP-Induced Alpha Decay

Rationale

According to the CP-stimulated alpha decay hypothesis [6] the high electron density and current density in CPs is effecting/accelerating alpha decay. However, the mechanism of such reaction is not understood. CP-induced alpha decay could help to explain, why so few radioactive isotopes are produced by LENR.

The Irion & Wendt experiment [3] was producing helium by electrical decompositions of a tungsten filament. The experiment has been reproduced successfully by other researchers [4] [5]. The emission of fast neutrons had been detected. The findings are indicating CP-induced alpha decay of tungsten:

,

The CP-induced alpha decay (if it occurs at all) is energetically possible with all natural isotopes of osmium, tungsten, hafnium, ytterbium, erbium and with the lighter isotopes of dysprosium. This means that not only tungsten (or osmium) could produce helium by this type of reaction, but also its alpha decay products.

Equation (7) is showing an example, where the excitation energy of the alpha decay is causing subsequent fission of hafnium with release of two neutrons. The latter might explain, why fast neutrons were observed in Irion-Wendt type of experiments.

The experiment needs to be done with pure tungsten electrodes electrodes in a vacuum chamber. Creating CPs via strong vacuum sparks between the electrodes is supposed to conduct the transmutations. The reactions will be occurring in a very clean environment, where only one chemical element is present initially.

CP-Induced Fusion of Aluminum

Rationale

According to the Coulomb tunneling hypothesis [6] all sorts of elements can be fused under the influence of CPs. The experiment will use aluminum as a test case:

Reactions (11) and (12) may provide some insight, how the simple device of the Correas [7] [8] was able to produce electrical energy from just aluminum (with minute amounts of air).

The "fuel" of these reactions consists of just one isotope (i.e. ²⁷Al) and creates another element (⁵⁴Fe), which is easy to detect magnetically and chemically. The ⁵⁴Fe isotope has a low natural abundance and can easily be distinguished from natural iron. However, there is an alternative reaction route with the same fuel shown in (12), which produces chromium instead of iron. The latter reaction is based on the spallation hypothesis [6] and produces hydrogen, which can be easily detected spectroscopically.

In case reaction route (11) will be found to dominate, it would be interesting to measure, whether the reaction energy of 21.86 MeV will be emitted as gamma quanta or whether the energy will be absorbed by the electrons of the CP according to the near-field electron-nucleus interaction hypothesis [6].

The experiment needs to be done with pure aluminum electrodes electrodes in a vacuum chamber. Creating CPs via strong vacuum sparks between the electrodes is supposed to conduct fusion. The reactions will be occurring in a very clean environment, where only one chemical element is present initially.

LENR without Hydrogen and Metal

Rationale

This experiment is an attempt to create LENR reactions, where neither hydrogen nor metal is present in the "fuel". The following are candidate reactions for this experiment:

,

Reaction (13) should be done with pure carbon electrodes electrodes in a vacuum chamber. Creating CPs via strong vacuum sparks between the electrodes is supposed to conduct fusion of ¹²C to ²⁴Mg. The reactions will be occurring in a very clean environment, where only one chemical element is present initially.

If the carbon electrodes will be exposed to a nitrogen atmosphere during the experiment, the production of ²⁸Si is expected according to (14) in addition to ²⁴Mg, among others.

If the carbon electrodes will be exposed to an oxygen atmosphere during the experiment, the production of ³²S, ²⁴Mg and ⁵⁶Fe is expected according to (15) and (16), among others.

If successful, the reactions can be seen as a replication of George Ohsawa's observation [9] that silicon and iron can be produced by arching carbon in air. Also, it would prove that LENR is possible without hydrogen isotopes and transition metals.

Collimated X-Ray Pulses Directed by the Magnetic Field

Rationale

The secondary structure of CPs is often quasi-periodic (helical). The axis of this helical structure tends to align itself to an externally applied magnetic field. CPs in these cases can presumably act like a pulsed free-electron laser, whereby the direction of emission is in parallel to the external magnetic field. The excitation energy can stem from nuclear energy feedback or from electron relaxation during the condensation phase of the CPs.

This experiment attempts to measure the emission of x-ray radiation and UV radiation of CPs, preferably in near vacuum environments. During the measurements a strong magnetic field shall be applied to the CPs.

The collimation of the emitted radiation shall be measured. It shall be measured whether the emissions are pulsed or continuous. It shall be determined, whether the emission is directed in parallel to the magnetic field lines.

Laser-like x-ray pulses have been observed by Karabut [10] in high-current glow discharges. The experiment can leverage the measurement techniques of Karabut. If successful, the experiment will provide an explanation of his results.

"Death Knell" Signature of CPs

Rationale

CPs contain a repository of kinetic energy, which will be suddenly released, when the intrinsic current of the CPs stops and the nuclei and electrons recombine to ordinary atoms and molecules. This means that CPs will eventually bust, either by disruptions from external causes or by their normal decay.

It is predicted, that when a condensed plasmoid busts, a very specific signature of time-correlated radiation/signals can be measured. This signature includes:

Sound: A sharp click occurs, when the condensed plasmoid transitions from its high matter density to the lower density of ordinary matter
• Radio frequency emission: A wide-band radio frequency "click" occurs, resulting from the sudden disappearance of the condensed plasmoid's magnetic moment
• Light and X-ray emission: When the electrons escape from their magnetic trap they will scatter and decelerate, leading to broad-band bremsstrahlung. The nuclei will then recombine with electrons which is causing a line spectrum from X-ray through UV to light emission.

All types of emissions from this signature will presumably occur synchronously in a very short time period.

This experiment is targeted to measure in a time-correlated fashion sound clicks, RF bursts, light flashes and x-ray flashes as a confirmation of the predicted "death knell" signature of CPs. If successful, the experimental setup can be used as a detector/counter for the decay of CPs.

The Pseudo-Ferromagnetic Properties of CPs

Rationale

CPs always have an intrinsic axial current. The magnetic field of this current is usually strong enough to bend the CPs to a helical shape. It is predicted that the helical shape in combination with the intrinsic current is in most cases (depending on the exact secondary structure of the CPs) leading to a strong magnetic dipole moment of CPs.

The magnetic moments of CPs will be aligning to an externally applied magnetic field, such that the strength of the external magnetic field is increasing. Some anecdotal evidence has been reported by experimentalists, that CPs are increasing an externally applied magnetic field. This experiment attempts to measure this effect.

In essence CPs behave like ferromagnetic substances. It is predicted that this "pseudo-ferromagnetism" will persist even at very high temperatures, way above the Curie temperature of all known ferromagnetic substances.

T. Matsumoto reported [1] that a platinum wire tips became magnetic after having absorbed CPs. The experiment shall analyse, whether normally non-magnetic materials will be attracted by magnets, if they are containing CPs.

Electrical Properties of a Spark, Nuclear Energy Feedback

Rationale

According to the nuclear energy feedback hypothesis [6] it is assumed, that the nuclear energy produced in a CP is providing a mechanism of continuous acceleration of its electrons. This experiment attempts to measure the electrical properties of a spark in order to detect signs for nuclear energy feedback while the generated CPs are still connected to the electrodes (open-ended CPs).

The energy release from nuclear reactions presumably can increase the current through the spark beyond what would be assumed from an ordinary conductor.

The experiment should compare the results of sparks running through different media, e.g. water, air, vacuum, sliding discharges at surfaces etc..

Shielding Properties of Various Materials against the Emission of CPs

Rationale

Due to their ionizing and re-condensing capability of CPs are able to bore holes several millimeters deep through even the hardest materials. Thus CPs can escape all sorts of enclosures. This is rather problematic, because CPs are harmful to biological tissue and pose a serious health risk.

This experiment attempts to determine the CP shielding properties of various materials. It shall be analyzed, whether conductors or non-conductors provide better shielding. It shall be determined, whether magnetic materials (e.g. iron) provide better shielding than non-magnetic materials (e.g. copper).

Also porous materials (e.g. cardbord) shall be compared to non-porous materials (e.g. Mylar). Multilayer structures consisting of interleaving sheets of non-conductors and conductors shall be compared.

It will be interesting to measure, whether the shielding effect is proportional to the thickness of the material. It shall be analyzed, whether the shielding strength is depending on the nuclear properties of the material (e.g. hydrogen-rich materials versus hydrogen-free).

The experiment will require effective means for generating CPs and detecting them.

References

[1] Matsumoto, Takaaki 1995, "Cold Fusion Experiments Using Sparking Discharges In Water", ICCF-5 Proceedings, page 390, http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/PonsSproceedinga.pdf

[2] Zhang, W.-S. and Dash, J. 2007: "Excess Heat Reproducibility and Evidence of Anomalous Elements after Electrolysis in Pd/D2O+H2SO4 Electrolytic Cells", 13th International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science, http://www.lenr-canr.org/acrobat/ZhangWSexcessheat.pdf

[3] Wendt, G. L. and Irion, C. E. 1922, Amer. Chem. Soc. 44

[4] Stephanakis, S. et al. 1972, Phys. Rev. Let. 29, 568

[5] Young, F. et al. 1977, J. Appl. Phys. 48, 3642

[6] Jaitner, Lutz 2015-2019: "The Physics of CPs and Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR)", at the author's web site http://condensed-plasmoids.com/condensed_plasmoids_lenr.pdf

[7] Correa, Alexandra and Paulo N. 1996: "Direct Current Energized Pulse Generator Utilizing Autogenous Cyclical Pulsed Abnormal Glow Discharges", US-Patent 5,502,354, http://aetherometry.com/Patents/US5502354A1.pdf

[8] Correa, Alexandra und Paulo N. 1993: "Metallographic & Excess Energy Density Studies of LGENTM Cathodes Subject to a PAGD Regime in Vacuum", Labofex Technical Report S1-007 http://www.aetherometry.com/publications/free/LS1-07.pdf

[9] Ohsawa, George and Kushi, Michio 1964: "Transmutations of Carbon", http://www.alchemywebsite.com/nelson2_3.html

[10] Karabut, A. B. 2006: "Experimental Research on 0.5 - 10 keV High-Energy Process Resulting from H2 and D2 Ions Flux Interaction with Cathode Solid in Electric Discharge", 7th International Workshop on Anomalies in Hydrogen/Deuterium-Loaded Metals
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242703565_Experimental_Research_on_05_-_10_keV_High-Energy_Process_Resulting_from_H2_and_D2_Ions_Flux_Interaction_with_Cathode_Solid_in_Electric_Discharge