The document discusses Lattice Energy LLC's theory that low-energy nuclear reactions (LENRs) may be occurring in unexpected environments like catalytic converters in automobiles. It provides background on the company's Widom-Larsen theory, which posits that nuclear and chemical processes can interconnect on small scales. The document then examines evidence that isotopic anomalies have been observed in emissions from catalytic converters, which may indicate LENRs are taking place. It argues the prevailing chemical paradigm cannot explain all observations and is being stretched, opening possibilities for experimental investigation.
Lattice Energy LLC-Technical Overview-June 25 2009Lewis Larsen
Commercializing a next generation source of safe nuclear energy: low energy nuclear reactions or LENRs. Widom-Larsen theory, weak interactions, transmutations, nanoscale evidence for nuclear effects, and Lattice's road to commercialization
Lattice Energy LLC-Are LENRs Occurring in Compact Fluorescent Lights-March 7 ...Lewis Larsen
Peer-reviewed paper by Mead et al. just published in February (Environmental Science & Technology) contains amazing new experimental data on anomalous shifts in abundances of Mercury isotopes found in compact fluorescent lights (CFL) used in homes and businesses. When viewed through the conceptual lens of the Widom-Larsen theory, their carefully collected Hg isotope data suggests that low energy nuclear reaction (LENR) transmutations may actually be occurring at extremely low rates in CFLs during normal operation. We discuss their paper and its implications in a new 102-slide Lattice PowerPoint presentation dated March 7, 2013. Therein, we conclude that if the intriguing possibility about LENRs in CFLs unveiled in this data is substantiated by further experimentation, it provides yet more proof that LENRs are likely to be a truly ‘green’ nuclear technology that has great promise for use in CO2-free power generation, providing LENR device heat outputs and operational longevity can be scaled dramatically upwards by applying and adapting recently acquired technical knowledge found in nanotech, plasmonics, and advanced materials science.
Lattice Energy LLC-LENRs on Hydrogenated Fullerenes and Graphene-July 6 2012Lewis Larsen
Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENRs) on Hydrogenated Fullerenes and Graphene: the rich, rapidly advancing chemistry of fullerenes and Graphene/Graphane might be fruitfully applied to the design and fabrication of better devices having LENR-active surfaces
Lattice Energy LLC-Technical Overview-June 25 2009Lewis Larsen
Commercializing a next generation source of safe nuclear energy: low energy nuclear reactions or LENRs. Widom-Larsen theory, weak interactions, transmutations, nanoscale evidence for nuclear effects, and Lattice's road to commercialization
Lattice Energy LLC-Are LENRs Occurring in Compact Fluorescent Lights-March 7 ...Lewis Larsen
Peer-reviewed paper by Mead et al. just published in February (Environmental Science & Technology) contains amazing new experimental data on anomalous shifts in abundances of Mercury isotopes found in compact fluorescent lights (CFL) used in homes and businesses. When viewed through the conceptual lens of the Widom-Larsen theory, their carefully collected Hg isotope data suggests that low energy nuclear reaction (LENR) transmutations may actually be occurring at extremely low rates in CFLs during normal operation. We discuss their paper and its implications in a new 102-slide Lattice PowerPoint presentation dated March 7, 2013. Therein, we conclude that if the intriguing possibility about LENRs in CFLs unveiled in this data is substantiated by further experimentation, it provides yet more proof that LENRs are likely to be a truly ‘green’ nuclear technology that has great promise for use in CO2-free power generation, providing LENR device heat outputs and operational longevity can be scaled dramatically upwards by applying and adapting recently acquired technical knowledge found in nanotech, plasmonics, and advanced materials science.
Lattice Energy LLC-LENRs on Hydrogenated Fullerenes and Graphene-July 6 2012Lewis Larsen
Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENRs) on Hydrogenated Fullerenes and Graphene: the rich, rapidly advancing chemistry of fullerenes and Graphene/Graphane might be fruitfully applied to the design and fabrication of better devices having LENR-active surfaces
Lattice Energy LLC - Mystery of Nagaokas 1920s Gold Experiments - Why Did Wor...Lewis Larsen
In a recorded interview with fellow physicist Prof. John Wheeler in 1962, Nobel prize-winning Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa said that his colleague Hantaro Nagaoka in the 1930s was (quoting directly), “…“I think Professor Nagaoka was all powerful then among scientists … he had some very deep insight, although he did not work himself [at that point in his career] … Nagaoka was [the] President of Osaka University when I moved from Kyoto to Osaka. But he was at the same time President of the Academy; he was the greatest boss among all the scientists in Japan.”
Between September 1924 and June 1925, Nagaoka and his co-workers at RIKEN in Japan conducted some 200 experiments with high-current electric arc discharges between Tungsten electrodes immersed in liquid hydrocarbon transformer oil in which they detected successful transmutation of Tungsten into macroscopic, visible flecks of Gold and Platinum. In June 1925, Nagaoka went a world tour in which he spoke to scientific and lay audiences about their transmutation experiments in Japan and handed-out samples comprising small pieces of porcelain reactor vessels with tiny bits of adhering Gold that had been created therein. In July 1925, “Nature” published his Letter to the Editors in which he reported on their results and encouraged other scientists to try to repeat their provocative experiments.
Amazingly, as far as we can tell no one ever tried to repeat Nagaoka et al.’s landmark experiments. Even more incredibly, the entire area of inquiry involving electric discharge-triggered transmutations of elements essentially died-out worldwide by 1930 (Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932 and transmutation via neutron-capture was first elucidated by Taylor in 1935). In this document, we explore some of the possible underlying reasons that may have caused this totally unexpected historical twist.
In 2004, Cirillo & Iorio (Italy) transmuted Tungsten into Rhenium, Osmium, and Gold in a modern, roughly equivalent version of Nagaoka’s electric arc discharge experiments. In 2012 at an American Nuclear Society meeting, using a very different type of gaseous D2 thin-film permeation experimental method it had pioneered in back 2002, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reported transmutation of implanted Tungsten targets into Osmium and Platinum.
Widom & Larsen theory of neutron-catalyzed low energy nuclear reactions (as published in the “European Physical Journal C – Particles and Fields” - 2006 and in “Pramana – Journal of Physics” – 2010) both predicts and explains all of this earlier experimental transmutation data with Tungsten targets.
If a modern repetition of Nagaoka et al.’s 1920s experiments produced encouraging results, commercial transmutation of Gold might not be very far in the future. That said, as in many cases--- time will tell --- and as they say in Russia, “We shall live and we shall see.”
Lattice Energy LLC - 1994 conference paper - Prof John Dash reported producti...Lewis Larsen
Synopsis: In a ‘lost’ conference paper published 23 years ago, Prof. John Dash et al. correctly concluded that “slow neutrons” were responsible for creating Gold and Silver transmutation products that were clearly observed in electrochemical cells that had been electrolyzed for 400 hours. However, they mistakenly thought that such neutrons were produced by a nuclear fusion process.
More recently, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has used a proprietary gas permeation method for LENR transmutation of Tungsten to Osmium and finally to Platinum. However, MHI’s ultralow energy neutron fluxes in Deuterium gas permeation cleanroom systems were not quite high enough to proceed all the way down the neutron-catalyzed LENR transmutation pathway to reach Gold like Dash et al.
Mitsubishi is presently pushing aggressively to increase LENR transmutation rates and product yields in laboratory devices. In a recent company technical bulletin, the company revealed that transmutation product yields had been increased by nearly 3 orders of magnitude in 3 years by shifting from gas to electrochemical permeation through a thin-film metal-oxide sandwich structure (see slides #34 - 36). Interestingly, to achieve this increase in yields, MHI unknowingly followed guidelines that were already spelled-out in a Widom-Larsen theory rate calculation paper published back in 2007 (slide #33).
Since MHI is also using semiconductor-like fabrication methods, cleanrooms, and some nanotech to build devices and increase transmutation product yields, it begs the question of whether there are any parallels between today’s primitive LENR devices and the historical development of transistors in the semiconductor industry. Well, there are.
Slides #37 – 43 explain how --- in certain ways --- LENR active sites really do resemble electronic transistors used in microchips. I also discuss what this unexpected similarity may mean for future development and commercialization of LENRs for power generation. Amazingly, some aspects of future transistors and LENR device technology will probably converge and perhaps even strongly overlap.
Lattice Energy LLC - Production of Gold via LENR transmutation of Platinum in...Lewis Larsen
Presently, unbeknownst to unsuspecting drivers worldwide, green LENR transmutation processes are occurring at very low rates during operation of three-way catalytic converters installed in over a billion cars and trucks.
Radiation-free nuclear transmutation of chemical elements by LENRs inside catalytic converters is strongly indicated by the presence of anomalous Gold, excess radiogenic Osmium, and shifts toward heavier isotopes that have been reported in Platinum and Palladium found in micron-scale nanoparticles that are emitted from vehicle exhaust pipes.
Extensive sampling and chemical analysis of certain roadway dust and roadside soils by environmental scientists have revealed that in scattered locations nanoparticulate Gold emitted from motor vehicle exhaust has accumulated to the point where local concentrations of this precious metal nearing key minimum threshold of 0.5 ppm needed for economic Gold ore.
This surprising nuclear activity in ubiquitous catalytic converters and absence of deleterious consequences for drivers or Earth’s environment argue that world is already safely coexisting with LENRs. This supports idea that LENRs could potentially be a very attractive future source of green nuclear energy if the technology is successfully commercialized.
Lattice Energy LLC - Neutron production and nucleosynthesis in electric disch...Lewis Larsen
LENR transmutations can occur all around us. Neutrons can be created when Hydrogen atoms (protons) are present within many different types of electric discharges that can include among diverse other things: atmospheric lightning on earth and other planets, arcs between electrodes in air, water, hydrocarbons, as well as in nano-arcs (internal shorts) that can occur in electrochemical batteries.
Lattice Energy LLC - Liu et al increase effective electron masses in ZrTe5 by...Lewis Larsen
In Nature Communications Liu et al. reported detectible increases in the effective mass of electrons in ZrTe5 with application of an extremely high magnetic field. Their ZrTe5 experimental system operates similarly to the Widom-Larsen theory of ultra-low momentum neutron reactions (LENRs) in condensed matter wherein many-body collective effects create surface plasmon electrons with substantially larger effective masses. Quoting from press release about Liu et al.’s paper, “An international team of researchers has for the first time discovered that in a very high magnetic field an electron with no mass can acquire a mass. Understanding why elementary particles -- e.g. electrons, photons, neutrinos -- have a mass is a fundamental question in physics and an area of intense debate.”
Lattice Energy LLC - Hyperlinked index to documents re Widom-Larsen theory an...Lewis Larsen
Fully hyperlinked and cross-referenced Index and User Guide to relevant documents concerning the Widom-Larsen theory and ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs)
Lattice Energy LLC - Synopsis of book titled Fusion Fiasco by Steven Krivit p...Lewis Larsen
Synopsis of Steve Krivit’s book “Fusion Fiasco” in context of the Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs:
By late October 1989 Dr. Edward Teller, ‘father’ of the first Hydrogen bomb, was apparently convinced Pons & Fleischmann had discovered a little-understood nuclear process that could operate in ordinary electrochemical cells. Bizarre absence of deadly hard radiation indicated to him that P&F’s puzzling results probably weren’t caused by a fusion process. After seeing all the ERAB panel’s data, he further speculated that the underlying process was very likely nuclear and possibly catalyzed by “neutral particle of small mass and marginal stability” that was somewhat akin to a neutron. Krivit reveals how his prescient insights were ignored by the DOE ERAB panel and then effectively buried for 27 years.
Lattice Energy LLC- Toyota Confirms Mitsubishi Transmutation of Cs to Pr-Oct ...Lewis Larsen
In Oct. 2013, Toyota published a paper in the peer-reviewed Japanese Journal of Applied Physics which confirmed important experimental results that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries had first published in 2002. MHI had claimed transmutation of Cesium into Praseodymium via the forced diffusion of Deuterium gas through a thin-film heterostructure containing elemental Palladium using a permeation method pioneered by Mitsubishi; it is capable of triggering nuclear reactions in condensed matter systems under modest temperatures and pressures.
Importantly, all of this experimental data is predicted and fully explained by the peer-reviewed Widom-Larsen theory of low energy nuclear reactions (LENRs).
While the Mitsubishi permeation method is not a suitable embodiment for commercial power generation systems based on LENRs, it has proven to be an excellent laboratory tool for demonstrating that nuclear transmutations can be triggered at will without the use of huge macroscopic temperatures and pressures. In other words, aging stars, supernovae, fission reactors, and thermonuclear explosions are not necessarily required; nucleosynthesis can occur in tabletop experiments that surprisingly do not have or need any radiation shielding.
Toyota's experimental confirmation of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) neutron-catalyzed LENR-based transmutation method also effectively provided a proof-of-concept for disposal of rather nasty radioactive Cesium (Cs-137) commonly found in nuclear fission reactor wastes into other heavier, non-radioactive stable elements/isotopes using MHI’s permeation process. In principle, a variant of MHI's LENR method with larger neutron fluxes would be extremely flexible and should work on any other type of radioactive isotope that can capture low energy neutrons, e.g., very dangerous Strontium-90, many long-lived transuranics such as Neptunium (please see http://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/nds/proceedings/2004/harada_h.pdf ), etc..
Lastly, at an American Nuclear Society meeting held in November 2012, Yasuhiro Iwamura of Mitsubishi revealed the Toyota Motor Company itself had recently become involved in LENR R&D, along with other large Japanese companies that he declined to name publicly. Given Japanese companies well known excellence at long-term strategic thinking, it would not be surprising if their ongoing LENR R&D programs aim to ultimately replace the internal combustion engine.
Lattice Energy LLC - Surprising Similarities between LENR Active Sites and En...Lewis Larsen
Herein we discuss surprising similarities between the operation of micron-scale active sites in condensed matter low energy neutron reactions (LENRs) and those of biological enzyme proteins. It turns-out that radiation-free LENR electroweak nuclear catalysis and enzymatic chemical catalysis are not as distant from each other as one might naively assume.
As we have explained in our many publications, LENRs are star-like, neutron-induced nuclear transmutations that produce heavier stable elements from neutron captures on lighter ones while releasing abundant quantities of clean heat during the process.
Unlike stars, fusion, and fission reactors, LENRs do not emit any deadly MeV-energy neutron and gamma radiation. They occur in microscopic domains in laboratory devices, at very low rates in some industrial processes such as pyrolysis, as well as naturally in lightning and other places elsewhere on Earth. They are quietly happening all around us but went unrecognized by legions of scientists for over 100 years because easy-to-detect hard radiation emission signatures are absent.
Importantly, LENRs can be triggered under mild macroscopic conditions; e.g. at as little as room temperature and atmospheric pressure. This enzyme-like feat is possible with electroweak catalysis which creates ultralow-energy neutrons directly from electrons and protons (hydrogen) via many-body collective quantum effects in an electroweak reaction: e + p --> n + νe.
Fried et al.’s recent stunning experimental results (“Extreme electric fields power catalysis in the active site of ketosteroid isomerase”, Science 346 pp. 1510 - 1514, Dec. 19, 2014) revealed that a structurally and compositionally complex Carbon-based isomerase enzyme protein employs a combination of very high local electric fields and quantum entanglement of particles in active sites to achieve enormous increases in chemical reaction rates. Much simpler, abiotic LENR many-body active sites comprising Q-M entangled protons and electrons achieve even more enormous catalytic increases in rates of neutron-producing electroweak reactions using exactly the same effects. A key difference between them is field-strength: the enzyme uses electric fields averaging ~1.4 x 1010 V/m; LENRs use nonequilibrium pulses > 2.5 x 1011 V/m.
It has become apparent that deep technical knowledge about details of LENR electroweak catalysis can provide valuable insights into the operation of both enzymatic and abiotic chemical catalysis. There is an opportunity to use new types of conceptual insights to help greatly increase performance and reduce costs for a broad range of important industrial catalysts.
Powering the World to a Green LENR Future- Lattice Energy LLC-April 11 2013Lewis Larsen
Powering the world to a green LENR future – a not unduly technical Lattice overview for everybody - truly green hard-radiation-free nuclear energy exists: no gammas, no energetic neutrons, nor any radioactive wastes. During their brief existence, peak power densities in LENR-active sites on condensed matter surfaces vastly exceed the power density that prevails in the innermost core of the Sun.
Lattice Energy LLC-Addendum Part1 to UFOs in LHC-March 13 2012Lewis Larsen
This is Part 1 of a two document Addendum to an earlier Lattice Energy LLC document dated December 7, 2011, titled “Are Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENRs) producing troublesome Unidentified Falling Objects (UFOs - micron-scale ‘dust’ particles) observed in Large Hadron Collider (LHC)? Should somebody look?” http://www.slideshare.net/lewisglarsen/lattice-energy-llccould-lenrs-be-producing-ufos-in-large-hadron-colliderdec-7-2011
Lattice Energy LLC - LENRs and the Future of Energy - Nov 27 2013Lewis Larsen
The Future of Energy --- Low Energy Neutron Reactions or LENRs:
- Represent a new type of paradigm-shifting nuclear technology.
- Differ greatly from present-day fission and fusion power generation technologies; LENRs are potentially much safer from environmental and biosafety perspectives.
- Embody a truly ‘green’ type of nuclear process: neither deadly hard neutron or gamma radiation emissions nor any measurable production of dangerous, long-lived radioactive wastes.
- Phenomena were hidden in plain sight for 100 years because hard radiation signatures and radioactive wastes are absent from LENR processes. With the benefit of today’s knowledge, examination of a large body of available published, peer-reviewed experimental literature shows that reliable reports of LENR effects, e.g. transmutation, date all the way back to the early 1900s.
- Lack of hard radiation emissions and long-lived radioactive wastes obviates need for shielding and containment subsystems; eliminates enormous amounts of weight and could reduce costs dramatically.
- Phenomena resisted understanding until Widom-Larsen theory integrated all the necessary conceptual pieces together into one coherent whole; W-L successfully explains all of the relevant experimental data.
- LENR device physics are now sufficiently well-understood to begin the commercialization process. Better understanding of the relevant physics creates major opportunities to develop safe, battery-like portable LENR power sources. Much larger LENR-based systems utilizing dusty plasma embodiments could also potentially be developed and scaled-up output-wise to reach many megawatts akin to today’s grid-connected central station power plants.
- Large manufacturing companies in Japan now have ongoing LENR R&D programs; list of players presently includes Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toyota Central Research, and Toyota Motor Company, among others.
Lattice Energy LLC - Electroweak nuclear catalysis and chemical catalysis are...Lewis Larsen
Chemical catalysis and electroweak nuclear catalysis share certain key features
Heretofore, chemical and nuclear processes were thought to be vastly distant realms; we now believe that they can happily coexist in close proximity to each other and may interoperate on nm to μ length-scales.
Herein we will argue that there are some very surprising similarities between the operation of active sites in LENR electroweak, enzymatic, and inorganic chemical catalysis: all three can utilize high local electric fields as well as many-body collective quantum effects to achieve dramatic increases in reaction rates and overall catalytic proficiency.
With respect to LENR active sites vs. those of enzymes and other types of chemical catalysts, what separates chemical from nuclear catalysis could be presence of many-body entangled protons and electrons in close proximity, coupled with input energy that triggers attosecond-scale pulses in local electric fields up to values that are > 2 x 1011 V/m.
It has become clear to Lattice that key knowledge about details of LENR electroweak catalysis may well provide very useful insights into chemical catalysis and vice-versa. We look forward to working with others to exploit this and thus advance technical progress in both areas.
Lattice Energy LLC - Scalability of LENR power generation systems - Nov 29 2015Lewis Larsen
Lattice shows how LENR power generation systems could someday scale-up from today’s primitive milliwatt thermal devices to kwh and megawatts of electrical output.
In this PowerPoint presentation, we outline how substantial scale-up of LENR (safe ultralow energy neutron reactions) power generation systems from today’s primitive milliwatt thermal devices to kwh and megawatts is a feasible goal in the near-future. LENR reactors would be vastly smaller and less expensive than equivalent fission counterparts with comparable thermal output.
D-T fusion reactors like ITER and other similar Tokamaks mainly create heat by harvesting the kinetic energy of deadly 14.1 MeV neutrons. Consequently, they require massive shielding and containment systems for safe operation and unsurprisingly have enormous costs and unavoidably huge physical size. Given that the radiation-free Lithium LENR fuel cycle releases nearly 27 MeV versus a total Q-value of 17.6 MeV for the D-T fusion reaction, it is hard to imagine a sound economic argument for spending 100s of billions on commercial fusion reactors if LENR technology is successfully developed and scaled-up as we have outlined herein.
Lack of hard radiation and radioactive wastes permit downward scalability that could enable future development of revolutionary, compact battery-like portable LENR power sources that can compete directly on $ price/kwh with chemical batteries in many applications including power tools, tablets, and smartphones.
Guide to Concepts-Experimental Evidence for W-L Theory of LENRs-Feb 17 2012Lewis Larsen
Herein, we will discuss the non-fusion, weak interaction-driven Widom-Larsen theory and its application to LENRs occurring in abiological condensed matter systems, abiological magnetically organized classical and dusty plasmas, and terrestrial biological systems. At the highest level of abstraction, WLT integrates many-body collective electromagnetic and condensed matter Q-M effects with modern electroweak theory under the ‘umbrella’ of the Standard Model; no “new physics” are invoked anywhere in this work.
Overview-Lattice Energy LLC Gamma Shielding Patent US 7893414 b2 Issued Feb 2...Lewis Larsen
More details will now be provided about the Widom-Larsen theory’s concept of a built-in gamma ‘shielding’ mechanism that we believe occurs at LENR-active sites in condensed matter systems. What is referred to as ‘shielding’ in this context is really a dynamic process of absorption and direct conversion of locally emitted gammas into many more less energetic infrared photons (has tiny, highly variable soft X-ray ‘tail’) at high efficiency while, of course, obeying the law of conservation of energy.
Lattice Energy LLC- New Russian Experiments Further Confirm Widom-Larsen Theo...Lewis Larsen
In series of different experiments with laser irradiation (sometimes combined with electrolysis) of hydride-forming metallic targets immersed in D2O, Barmina et al. claim to have observed both production and so-called “accelerated decay” of Tritium. If correct, their claimed detection of significant amounts of radioactive Tritium production is an extremely interesting experimental result because over the past 24 years, out of the hundreds of thousands of LENR experiments conducted, literally only a handful have ever claimed to observe Tritium as a measurable nuclear product. In separate very recent publications (2012, 2013), Barmina et al. claim to have developed a theory which can explain all their experimental data; their theoretical approach includes ‘new nuclear physics’ and exotic concepts such as a so-called “in-shake-up” nuclear state that enables production of new bound di-/tri-neutron particles.
Presuming that their experimental data are shown to have been correctly measured and results are successfully repeated by other independent researchers, their reported data provides further confirmation of Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs in a type of laser-based LENR experimental system pioneered by Letts & Cravens (USA) ca. 2002 – 2003.
During the past decade or so, there have also been increasing numbers of experimental reports published in various peer-reviewed journals in which authors claimed to have observed changes in intrinsic nuclear decay rate constants of certain isotopes/elements.
Importantly, there is probably a subset of such anomalous reported data in which experimentalists were blithely unaware of any possibility that LENR transmutations could be occurring inside their experimental systems. In such cases, the measured parameter(s) indicating a given nuclear decay rate, say intensities of a series of gamma emission lines, changes because the isotope(s) producing the gammas being measured has/have simply captured W-L ULM neutrons and been transmuted to other different --- perhaps even stable --- isotope(s); ergo, measured isotopes’ intrinsic nuclear decay rate constants did not really change during such types of experiments. Thus, the long-mysterious “Reifenschweiler effect” could in reality be just conversion of Tritium into neutrons that are captured by, among other things, substrate atoms..
Lattice Energy LLC- High-temperature Superconductivity in Patches-Aug 23 2012Lewis Larsen
Certain published experimental data suggests that some form of high temperature superconductivity (HTSC) may be occurring in Widom-Larsen many-body patches of protons and SP electrons found in LENR systems. While not widely known or accepted, controversial experimental data collected and published by Tripodi et al., if correct, suggests that even room temperature superconductivity (RTSC) might be possible, at least in PdHx superconducting systems. If HTSC or RTSC truly does occur in W-L heavy-electron patches, although it shares some common characteristics with Type-2 superconductors, it differs in many key ways. For example, ‘normal’ lattice electron-phonon interactions seem unlikely to be involved in facilitating formation of Cooper pairing in a W-L patch’s SP electron subsystem. Instead, it seems like, during brief attoseconds of collective proton coherence, the many-body collective proton subsystem somehow functions as a local ‘lattice’ (a la a dynamic Coulomb crystal???). Viewed in that manner, a many-body proton subsystem’s electromagnetic and Q-M interactions with a patch’s many-body SP electron subsystem might then be able to provide a local environment conducive to electron pairing therein. Perhaps a patch’s two subsystems form dynamic, mutually reinforcing ‘mirror quantum condensates’ as conceptualized on Slide #81 herein. Hopefully, subject matter experts will study these new theoretical ideas to see whether they might lead to additional fruitful insights.
Lattice Energy LLC - Widom-Larsen theory reveals surprising similarities and ...Lewis Larsen
Widom-Larsen theory unveils additional surprising similarities and connections between LENRs and chemical catalysis.
Synopsis: recent extensions of the Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs have for the first time revealed additional striking and unexpected similarities between electroweak nuclear catalysis --- collective many-body en + pn reaction in condensed matter --- and enzymatic catalysis, inorganic chemical catalysis, plasmon-mediated chemical photocatalysis with “hot” charge carriers, as well as widely published nanotechnology concept of heterometallic plasmonic antenna-reactor nanoparticles for photocatalysis. Among a number of surprising commonalities between LENRs and chemical catalytic processes, many-body collective quantum effects and high local electric fields > 1010 V/m enable many chemical reactions and LENRs to proceed with substantial rates at vastly lower working temperatures and pressures. Existence of all these unexpected parallels suggests that valuable engineering insights can be obtained by data mining state-of-the art technical knowledge about nanotech and chemical catalysis and then applying and leveraging new insights derived therefrom to help accelerate future development of LENRs for power generation.
Lattice Energy LLC - Mystery of Nagaokas 1920s Gold Experiments - Why Did Wor...Lewis Larsen
In a recorded interview with fellow physicist Prof. John Wheeler in 1962, Nobel prize-winning Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa said that his colleague Hantaro Nagaoka in the 1930s was (quoting directly), “…“I think Professor Nagaoka was all powerful then among scientists … he had some very deep insight, although he did not work himself [at that point in his career] … Nagaoka was [the] President of Osaka University when I moved from Kyoto to Osaka. But he was at the same time President of the Academy; he was the greatest boss among all the scientists in Japan.”
Between September 1924 and June 1925, Nagaoka and his co-workers at RIKEN in Japan conducted some 200 experiments with high-current electric arc discharges between Tungsten electrodes immersed in liquid hydrocarbon transformer oil in which they detected successful transmutation of Tungsten into macroscopic, visible flecks of Gold and Platinum. In June 1925, Nagaoka went a world tour in which he spoke to scientific and lay audiences about their transmutation experiments in Japan and handed-out samples comprising small pieces of porcelain reactor vessels with tiny bits of adhering Gold that had been created therein. In July 1925, “Nature” published his Letter to the Editors in which he reported on their results and encouraged other scientists to try to repeat their provocative experiments.
Amazingly, as far as we can tell no one ever tried to repeat Nagaoka et al.’s landmark experiments. Even more incredibly, the entire area of inquiry involving electric discharge-triggered transmutations of elements essentially died-out worldwide by 1930 (Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932 and transmutation via neutron-capture was first elucidated by Taylor in 1935). In this document, we explore some of the possible underlying reasons that may have caused this totally unexpected historical twist.
In 2004, Cirillo & Iorio (Italy) transmuted Tungsten into Rhenium, Osmium, and Gold in a modern, roughly equivalent version of Nagaoka’s electric arc discharge experiments. In 2012 at an American Nuclear Society meeting, using a very different type of gaseous D2 thin-film permeation experimental method it had pioneered in back 2002, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reported transmutation of implanted Tungsten targets into Osmium and Platinum.
Widom & Larsen theory of neutron-catalyzed low energy nuclear reactions (as published in the “European Physical Journal C – Particles and Fields” - 2006 and in “Pramana – Journal of Physics” – 2010) both predicts and explains all of this earlier experimental transmutation data with Tungsten targets.
If a modern repetition of Nagaoka et al.’s 1920s experiments produced encouraging results, commercial transmutation of Gold might not be very far in the future. That said, as in many cases--- time will tell --- and as they say in Russia, “We shall live and we shall see.”
Lattice Energy LLC - 1994 conference paper - Prof John Dash reported producti...Lewis Larsen
Synopsis: In a ‘lost’ conference paper published 23 years ago, Prof. John Dash et al. correctly concluded that “slow neutrons” were responsible for creating Gold and Silver transmutation products that were clearly observed in electrochemical cells that had been electrolyzed for 400 hours. However, they mistakenly thought that such neutrons were produced by a nuclear fusion process.
More recently, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has used a proprietary gas permeation method for LENR transmutation of Tungsten to Osmium and finally to Platinum. However, MHI’s ultralow energy neutron fluxes in Deuterium gas permeation cleanroom systems were not quite high enough to proceed all the way down the neutron-catalyzed LENR transmutation pathway to reach Gold like Dash et al.
Mitsubishi is presently pushing aggressively to increase LENR transmutation rates and product yields in laboratory devices. In a recent company technical bulletin, the company revealed that transmutation product yields had been increased by nearly 3 orders of magnitude in 3 years by shifting from gas to electrochemical permeation through a thin-film metal-oxide sandwich structure (see slides #34 - 36). Interestingly, to achieve this increase in yields, MHI unknowingly followed guidelines that were already spelled-out in a Widom-Larsen theory rate calculation paper published back in 2007 (slide #33).
Since MHI is also using semiconductor-like fabrication methods, cleanrooms, and some nanotech to build devices and increase transmutation product yields, it begs the question of whether there are any parallels between today’s primitive LENR devices and the historical development of transistors in the semiconductor industry. Well, there are.
Slides #37 – 43 explain how --- in certain ways --- LENR active sites really do resemble electronic transistors used in microchips. I also discuss what this unexpected similarity may mean for future development and commercialization of LENRs for power generation. Amazingly, some aspects of future transistors and LENR device technology will probably converge and perhaps even strongly overlap.
Lattice Energy LLC - Production of Gold via LENR transmutation of Platinum in...Lewis Larsen
Presently, unbeknownst to unsuspecting drivers worldwide, green LENR transmutation processes are occurring at very low rates during operation of three-way catalytic converters installed in over a billion cars and trucks.
Radiation-free nuclear transmutation of chemical elements by LENRs inside catalytic converters is strongly indicated by the presence of anomalous Gold, excess radiogenic Osmium, and shifts toward heavier isotopes that have been reported in Platinum and Palladium found in micron-scale nanoparticles that are emitted from vehicle exhaust pipes.
Extensive sampling and chemical analysis of certain roadway dust and roadside soils by environmental scientists have revealed that in scattered locations nanoparticulate Gold emitted from motor vehicle exhaust has accumulated to the point where local concentrations of this precious metal nearing key minimum threshold of 0.5 ppm needed for economic Gold ore.
This surprising nuclear activity in ubiquitous catalytic converters and absence of deleterious consequences for drivers or Earth’s environment argue that world is already safely coexisting with LENRs. This supports idea that LENRs could potentially be a very attractive future source of green nuclear energy if the technology is successfully commercialized.
Lattice Energy LLC - Neutron production and nucleosynthesis in electric disch...Lewis Larsen
LENR transmutations can occur all around us. Neutrons can be created when Hydrogen atoms (protons) are present within many different types of electric discharges that can include among diverse other things: atmospheric lightning on earth and other planets, arcs between electrodes in air, water, hydrocarbons, as well as in nano-arcs (internal shorts) that can occur in electrochemical batteries.
Lattice Energy LLC - Liu et al increase effective electron masses in ZrTe5 by...Lewis Larsen
In Nature Communications Liu et al. reported detectible increases in the effective mass of electrons in ZrTe5 with application of an extremely high magnetic field. Their ZrTe5 experimental system operates similarly to the Widom-Larsen theory of ultra-low momentum neutron reactions (LENRs) in condensed matter wherein many-body collective effects create surface plasmon electrons with substantially larger effective masses. Quoting from press release about Liu et al.’s paper, “An international team of researchers has for the first time discovered that in a very high magnetic field an electron with no mass can acquire a mass. Understanding why elementary particles -- e.g. electrons, photons, neutrinos -- have a mass is a fundamental question in physics and an area of intense debate.”
Lattice Energy LLC - Hyperlinked index to documents re Widom-Larsen theory an...Lewis Larsen
Fully hyperlinked and cross-referenced Index and User Guide to relevant documents concerning the Widom-Larsen theory and ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs)
Lattice Energy LLC - Synopsis of book titled Fusion Fiasco by Steven Krivit p...Lewis Larsen
Synopsis of Steve Krivit’s book “Fusion Fiasco” in context of the Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs:
By late October 1989 Dr. Edward Teller, ‘father’ of the first Hydrogen bomb, was apparently convinced Pons & Fleischmann had discovered a little-understood nuclear process that could operate in ordinary electrochemical cells. Bizarre absence of deadly hard radiation indicated to him that P&F’s puzzling results probably weren’t caused by a fusion process. After seeing all the ERAB panel’s data, he further speculated that the underlying process was very likely nuclear and possibly catalyzed by “neutral particle of small mass and marginal stability” that was somewhat akin to a neutron. Krivit reveals how his prescient insights were ignored by the DOE ERAB panel and then effectively buried for 27 years.
Lattice Energy LLC- Toyota Confirms Mitsubishi Transmutation of Cs to Pr-Oct ...Lewis Larsen
In Oct. 2013, Toyota published a paper in the peer-reviewed Japanese Journal of Applied Physics which confirmed important experimental results that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries had first published in 2002. MHI had claimed transmutation of Cesium into Praseodymium via the forced diffusion of Deuterium gas through a thin-film heterostructure containing elemental Palladium using a permeation method pioneered by Mitsubishi; it is capable of triggering nuclear reactions in condensed matter systems under modest temperatures and pressures.
Importantly, all of this experimental data is predicted and fully explained by the peer-reviewed Widom-Larsen theory of low energy nuclear reactions (LENRs).
While the Mitsubishi permeation method is not a suitable embodiment for commercial power generation systems based on LENRs, it has proven to be an excellent laboratory tool for demonstrating that nuclear transmutations can be triggered at will without the use of huge macroscopic temperatures and pressures. In other words, aging stars, supernovae, fission reactors, and thermonuclear explosions are not necessarily required; nucleosynthesis can occur in tabletop experiments that surprisingly do not have or need any radiation shielding.
Toyota's experimental confirmation of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) neutron-catalyzed LENR-based transmutation method also effectively provided a proof-of-concept for disposal of rather nasty radioactive Cesium (Cs-137) commonly found in nuclear fission reactor wastes into other heavier, non-radioactive stable elements/isotopes using MHI’s permeation process. In principle, a variant of MHI's LENR method with larger neutron fluxes would be extremely flexible and should work on any other type of radioactive isotope that can capture low energy neutrons, e.g., very dangerous Strontium-90, many long-lived transuranics such as Neptunium (please see http://wwwndc.jaea.go.jp/nds/proceedings/2004/harada_h.pdf ), etc..
Lastly, at an American Nuclear Society meeting held in November 2012, Yasuhiro Iwamura of Mitsubishi revealed the Toyota Motor Company itself had recently become involved in LENR R&D, along with other large Japanese companies that he declined to name publicly. Given Japanese companies well known excellence at long-term strategic thinking, it would not be surprising if their ongoing LENR R&D programs aim to ultimately replace the internal combustion engine.
Lattice Energy LLC - Surprising Similarities between LENR Active Sites and En...Lewis Larsen
Herein we discuss surprising similarities between the operation of micron-scale active sites in condensed matter low energy neutron reactions (LENRs) and those of biological enzyme proteins. It turns-out that radiation-free LENR electroweak nuclear catalysis and enzymatic chemical catalysis are not as distant from each other as one might naively assume.
As we have explained in our many publications, LENRs are star-like, neutron-induced nuclear transmutations that produce heavier stable elements from neutron captures on lighter ones while releasing abundant quantities of clean heat during the process.
Unlike stars, fusion, and fission reactors, LENRs do not emit any deadly MeV-energy neutron and gamma radiation. They occur in microscopic domains in laboratory devices, at very low rates in some industrial processes such as pyrolysis, as well as naturally in lightning and other places elsewhere on Earth. They are quietly happening all around us but went unrecognized by legions of scientists for over 100 years because easy-to-detect hard radiation emission signatures are absent.
Importantly, LENRs can be triggered under mild macroscopic conditions; e.g. at as little as room temperature and atmospheric pressure. This enzyme-like feat is possible with electroweak catalysis which creates ultralow-energy neutrons directly from electrons and protons (hydrogen) via many-body collective quantum effects in an electroweak reaction: e + p --> n + νe.
Fried et al.’s recent stunning experimental results (“Extreme electric fields power catalysis in the active site of ketosteroid isomerase”, Science 346 pp. 1510 - 1514, Dec. 19, 2014) revealed that a structurally and compositionally complex Carbon-based isomerase enzyme protein employs a combination of very high local electric fields and quantum entanglement of particles in active sites to achieve enormous increases in chemical reaction rates. Much simpler, abiotic LENR many-body active sites comprising Q-M entangled protons and electrons achieve even more enormous catalytic increases in rates of neutron-producing electroweak reactions using exactly the same effects. A key difference between them is field-strength: the enzyme uses electric fields averaging ~1.4 x 1010 V/m; LENRs use nonequilibrium pulses > 2.5 x 1011 V/m.
It has become apparent that deep technical knowledge about details of LENR electroweak catalysis can provide valuable insights into the operation of both enzymatic and abiotic chemical catalysis. There is an opportunity to use new types of conceptual insights to help greatly increase performance and reduce costs for a broad range of important industrial catalysts.
Powering the World to a Green LENR Future- Lattice Energy LLC-April 11 2013Lewis Larsen
Powering the world to a green LENR future – a not unduly technical Lattice overview for everybody - truly green hard-radiation-free nuclear energy exists: no gammas, no energetic neutrons, nor any radioactive wastes. During their brief existence, peak power densities in LENR-active sites on condensed matter surfaces vastly exceed the power density that prevails in the innermost core of the Sun.
Lattice Energy LLC-Addendum Part1 to UFOs in LHC-March 13 2012Lewis Larsen
This is Part 1 of a two document Addendum to an earlier Lattice Energy LLC document dated December 7, 2011, titled “Are Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENRs) producing troublesome Unidentified Falling Objects (UFOs - micron-scale ‘dust’ particles) observed in Large Hadron Collider (LHC)? Should somebody look?” http://www.slideshare.net/lewisglarsen/lattice-energy-llccould-lenrs-be-producing-ufos-in-large-hadron-colliderdec-7-2011
Lattice Energy LLC - LENRs and the Future of Energy - Nov 27 2013Lewis Larsen
The Future of Energy --- Low Energy Neutron Reactions or LENRs:
- Represent a new type of paradigm-shifting nuclear technology.
- Differ greatly from present-day fission and fusion power generation technologies; LENRs are potentially much safer from environmental and biosafety perspectives.
- Embody a truly ‘green’ type of nuclear process: neither deadly hard neutron or gamma radiation emissions nor any measurable production of dangerous, long-lived radioactive wastes.
- Phenomena were hidden in plain sight for 100 years because hard radiation signatures and radioactive wastes are absent from LENR processes. With the benefit of today’s knowledge, examination of a large body of available published, peer-reviewed experimental literature shows that reliable reports of LENR effects, e.g. transmutation, date all the way back to the early 1900s.
- Lack of hard radiation emissions and long-lived radioactive wastes obviates need for shielding and containment subsystems; eliminates enormous amounts of weight and could reduce costs dramatically.
- Phenomena resisted understanding until Widom-Larsen theory integrated all the necessary conceptual pieces together into one coherent whole; W-L successfully explains all of the relevant experimental data.
- LENR device physics are now sufficiently well-understood to begin the commercialization process. Better understanding of the relevant physics creates major opportunities to develop safe, battery-like portable LENR power sources. Much larger LENR-based systems utilizing dusty plasma embodiments could also potentially be developed and scaled-up output-wise to reach many megawatts akin to today’s grid-connected central station power plants.
- Large manufacturing companies in Japan now have ongoing LENR R&D programs; list of players presently includes Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toyota Central Research, and Toyota Motor Company, among others.
Lattice Energy LLC - Electroweak nuclear catalysis and chemical catalysis are...Lewis Larsen
Chemical catalysis and electroweak nuclear catalysis share certain key features
Heretofore, chemical and nuclear processes were thought to be vastly distant realms; we now believe that they can happily coexist in close proximity to each other and may interoperate on nm to μ length-scales.
Herein we will argue that there are some very surprising similarities between the operation of active sites in LENR electroweak, enzymatic, and inorganic chemical catalysis: all three can utilize high local electric fields as well as many-body collective quantum effects to achieve dramatic increases in reaction rates and overall catalytic proficiency.
With respect to LENR active sites vs. those of enzymes and other types of chemical catalysts, what separates chemical from nuclear catalysis could be presence of many-body entangled protons and electrons in close proximity, coupled with input energy that triggers attosecond-scale pulses in local electric fields up to values that are > 2 x 1011 V/m.
It has become clear to Lattice that key knowledge about details of LENR electroweak catalysis may well provide very useful insights into chemical catalysis and vice-versa. We look forward to working with others to exploit this and thus advance technical progress in both areas.
Lattice Energy LLC - Scalability of LENR power generation systems - Nov 29 2015Lewis Larsen
Lattice shows how LENR power generation systems could someday scale-up from today’s primitive milliwatt thermal devices to kwh and megawatts of electrical output.
In this PowerPoint presentation, we outline how substantial scale-up of LENR (safe ultralow energy neutron reactions) power generation systems from today’s primitive milliwatt thermal devices to kwh and megawatts is a feasible goal in the near-future. LENR reactors would be vastly smaller and less expensive than equivalent fission counterparts with comparable thermal output.
D-T fusion reactors like ITER and other similar Tokamaks mainly create heat by harvesting the kinetic energy of deadly 14.1 MeV neutrons. Consequently, they require massive shielding and containment systems for safe operation and unsurprisingly have enormous costs and unavoidably huge physical size. Given that the radiation-free Lithium LENR fuel cycle releases nearly 27 MeV versus a total Q-value of 17.6 MeV for the D-T fusion reaction, it is hard to imagine a sound economic argument for spending 100s of billions on commercial fusion reactors if LENR technology is successfully developed and scaled-up as we have outlined herein.
Lack of hard radiation and radioactive wastes permit downward scalability that could enable future development of revolutionary, compact battery-like portable LENR power sources that can compete directly on $ price/kwh with chemical batteries in many applications including power tools, tablets, and smartphones.
Guide to Concepts-Experimental Evidence for W-L Theory of LENRs-Feb 17 2012Lewis Larsen
Herein, we will discuss the non-fusion, weak interaction-driven Widom-Larsen theory and its application to LENRs occurring in abiological condensed matter systems, abiological magnetically organized classical and dusty plasmas, and terrestrial biological systems. At the highest level of abstraction, WLT integrates many-body collective electromagnetic and condensed matter Q-M effects with modern electroweak theory under the ‘umbrella’ of the Standard Model; no “new physics” are invoked anywhere in this work.
Overview-Lattice Energy LLC Gamma Shielding Patent US 7893414 b2 Issued Feb 2...Lewis Larsen
More details will now be provided about the Widom-Larsen theory’s concept of a built-in gamma ‘shielding’ mechanism that we believe occurs at LENR-active sites in condensed matter systems. What is referred to as ‘shielding’ in this context is really a dynamic process of absorption and direct conversion of locally emitted gammas into many more less energetic infrared photons (has tiny, highly variable soft X-ray ‘tail’) at high efficiency while, of course, obeying the law of conservation of energy.
Lattice Energy LLC- New Russian Experiments Further Confirm Widom-Larsen Theo...Lewis Larsen
In series of different experiments with laser irradiation (sometimes combined with electrolysis) of hydride-forming metallic targets immersed in D2O, Barmina et al. claim to have observed both production and so-called “accelerated decay” of Tritium. If correct, their claimed detection of significant amounts of radioactive Tritium production is an extremely interesting experimental result because over the past 24 years, out of the hundreds of thousands of LENR experiments conducted, literally only a handful have ever claimed to observe Tritium as a measurable nuclear product. In separate very recent publications (2012, 2013), Barmina et al. claim to have developed a theory which can explain all their experimental data; their theoretical approach includes ‘new nuclear physics’ and exotic concepts such as a so-called “in-shake-up” nuclear state that enables production of new bound di-/tri-neutron particles.
Presuming that their experimental data are shown to have been correctly measured and results are successfully repeated by other independent researchers, their reported data provides further confirmation of Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs in a type of laser-based LENR experimental system pioneered by Letts & Cravens (USA) ca. 2002 – 2003.
During the past decade or so, there have also been increasing numbers of experimental reports published in various peer-reviewed journals in which authors claimed to have observed changes in intrinsic nuclear decay rate constants of certain isotopes/elements.
Importantly, there is probably a subset of such anomalous reported data in which experimentalists were blithely unaware of any possibility that LENR transmutations could be occurring inside their experimental systems. In such cases, the measured parameter(s) indicating a given nuclear decay rate, say intensities of a series of gamma emission lines, changes because the isotope(s) producing the gammas being measured has/have simply captured W-L ULM neutrons and been transmuted to other different --- perhaps even stable --- isotope(s); ergo, measured isotopes’ intrinsic nuclear decay rate constants did not really change during such types of experiments. Thus, the long-mysterious “Reifenschweiler effect” could in reality be just conversion of Tritium into neutrons that are captured by, among other things, substrate atoms..
Lattice Energy LLC- High-temperature Superconductivity in Patches-Aug 23 2012Lewis Larsen
Certain published experimental data suggests that some form of high temperature superconductivity (HTSC) may be occurring in Widom-Larsen many-body patches of protons and SP electrons found in LENR systems. While not widely known or accepted, controversial experimental data collected and published by Tripodi et al., if correct, suggests that even room temperature superconductivity (RTSC) might be possible, at least in PdHx superconducting systems. If HTSC or RTSC truly does occur in W-L heavy-electron patches, although it shares some common characteristics with Type-2 superconductors, it differs in many key ways. For example, ‘normal’ lattice electron-phonon interactions seem unlikely to be involved in facilitating formation of Cooper pairing in a W-L patch’s SP electron subsystem. Instead, it seems like, during brief attoseconds of collective proton coherence, the many-body collective proton subsystem somehow functions as a local ‘lattice’ (a la a dynamic Coulomb crystal???). Viewed in that manner, a many-body proton subsystem’s electromagnetic and Q-M interactions with a patch’s many-body SP electron subsystem might then be able to provide a local environment conducive to electron pairing therein. Perhaps a patch’s two subsystems form dynamic, mutually reinforcing ‘mirror quantum condensates’ as conceptualized on Slide #81 herein. Hopefully, subject matter experts will study these new theoretical ideas to see whether they might lead to additional fruitful insights.
Lattice Energy LLC - Widom-Larsen theory reveals surprising similarities and ...Lewis Larsen
Widom-Larsen theory unveils additional surprising similarities and connections between LENRs and chemical catalysis.
Synopsis: recent extensions of the Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs have for the first time revealed additional striking and unexpected similarities between electroweak nuclear catalysis --- collective many-body en + pn reaction in condensed matter --- and enzymatic catalysis, inorganic chemical catalysis, plasmon-mediated chemical photocatalysis with “hot” charge carriers, as well as widely published nanotechnology concept of heterometallic plasmonic antenna-reactor nanoparticles for photocatalysis. Among a number of surprising commonalities between LENRs and chemical catalytic processes, many-body collective quantum effects and high local electric fields > 1010 V/m enable many chemical reactions and LENRs to proceed with substantial rates at vastly lower working temperatures and pressures. Existence of all these unexpected parallels suggests that valuable engineering insights can be obtained by data mining state-of-the art technical knowledge about nanotech and chemical catalysis and then applying and leveraging new insights derived therefrom to help accelerate future development of LENRs for power generation.
Lattice Energy LLC- Increased Energy Densities Drive Convergence of Batteries...Lewis Larsen
Large increases in battery energy densities drive convergence between energetic materials, LENRs and batteries. Today LENRs create problems in high-energy-density advanced batteries; battery manufacturers can potentially turn today’s LENR issues into tomorrow’s opportunities. Importantly,
Japanese companies understand the convergence: Mitsubishi Heavy industries, Toyota Central Research, Toyota Motor Corp., and other unnamed large Japanese companies all now have LENR R&D programs; Lattice believes their ultimate goal is to eventually be able to replace the internal combustion engine using CO2-free LENRs.
Lattice Energy LLC-Observed Variations in Rates of Nuclear Decay-Nov 23 2012Lewis Larsen
Lattice’s technical comments regarding: “Half-life strife: Seasons change in the atom's heart,” by
Stuart Clark published in “New Scientist” magazine issue #2891 on November 21, 2012. An extension of the Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs published on Jan. 10, 2012, in a 3-page MS-Word document titled, "New possibilities for developing minimal mass, extremely sensitive, collective many-body, quantum mechanical neutrino 'antennas'," successfully explains the published experimental results of Jenkins and Fischbach with regard to Manganese-54 (Mn-54) and other isotopic decays involving the weak interaction (e.g., beta decays and inner-shell electron captures). This theoretical explanation for the phenomenon involves a rather straightforward application of the Pauli Exclusion Principle to all types of neutrinos, which are fermions (NOT bosons). Changes in nuclear decay rates observed in laboratory samples of beta-decaying isotopes located on earth are caused by local interactions of beta-unstable atoms in samples with varying fluxes of speed-of-light neutrinos emitted from various electroweak processes occurring in the sun's core, in the "carpet" of magnetic flux tubes on its 'surface', and in the organized magnetic structures of energetic solar flares.
Lattice Energy LLC - LENRs in Li-ion batteries? - July 16 2010Lewis Larsen
Low energy neutron reactions (LENRs) in advanced batteries and other condensed matter environments; could LENRs be involved in some Li-ion battery fires? Local electric fields greater than 10*11 V/m on nanometer to micron length-scales near fractal structures, sharp tips, and nanoparticles: if heavy-mass e* electrons and ultra low momentum neutrons are produced in such spots, what are the potential implications for advanced batteries?
Lattice Energy LLC-Widom-Larsen Theory Explains Data Presented in New Mitsubi...Lewis Larsen
Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs can successfully explain the various experimental data that was presented and discussed in the recently published, LENR-related US patent application filed June 8, 2012, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan), US 2012/0269309 A2.
Readers are encouraged to download copies and compare various details of Lattice’s fundamental patent US # 7,893,414 (issued by the USPTO on February 22, 2011) with Mitsubishi’s above-noted, recently published US application.
Mitsubishi uses their EINR model published in 1998 to explain their experimental data; however, it is strictly a conceptual phenomenological model and does not explain physics of exactly how LENR catalytic neutrons are formed and why copious energetic neutron radiation is not observed; neither does it explain why prompt and delayed MeV gamma radiation is not emitted during neutron captures on various isotopes.
Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs, as published in 2006 and 2010, fully explains the physics of ultra-low momentum neutron production, as well as the absence of deadly fluxes of energetic neutrons and ‘hard’ MeV-energy gamma radiation; Widom-Larsen theory’s deep insights in detailed device physics enables meaningful engineering of useful LENR devices for controlled production of thermal energy and/or purposeful transmutation of elements to accomplish a variety of objectives.
Conclusions: the Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs can successfully explain the various experimental data that was presented and discussed in the recently published, LENR-related US patent application filed June 8, 2012, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan), US 2012/0269309 A2.
As a parting thought, please note that a number of large Japanese companies now have ongoing LENR R&D programs --- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toyota Central Research, and Toyota Motors, among others. That being the case, it is highly likely that one or more companies, somewhere, sometime in the not-too-distant future, will eventually succeed in commercializing LENRs.
International Committee for Future Accelerators recommended that the Linear Collider design has to be based on the superconducting technology. And this is the reason why the international scientific society directed efforts to improving superconductive technology and reducing its cost.
In this work, in the framework of researching a valid alternative to Nb for RF superconducting cavities, thin film Nb3Sn has been investigated. The goal will be the achievement of superconducting cavities working better than the Nb ones at 4.2 K.
In order to improve the existing technology of substrates coating by thermally diffused Nb3Sn a new high temperature annealing technology has been developed. In the first part of the work, is given the short theoretical review of RF superconductivity, main superconductors that are used to be a good alternative to a pure Nb and fundamentals of the induction heating theory. Second part is dedicated to the existing double furnace technology, developed in the superconductivity lab in LNL. The influence of preliminary surface treatments like glow discharge of the sample, anodization and chemical etching on the quality of thermally diffused Nb3Sn was studied. And in the third part is given the description of the new induction heating system, suggested for annealing of the 6 GHz cavities. Also in the third part we will go through the results of coating samples and cavities with thermally diffused Nb3Sn with high temperature annealing and the results of the RF – test.
Finally, it is important to mention, that from the very beginning of investigation the induction heating for annealing 6 GHz cavities it became clear that the technology has an enormous potential in producing thermally diffused Nb3Sn.
New New Energy - LENR/Cold Fusion/"Free Energy", Fact vs FictionEd Beardsworth
Next Generation Energy - LENR/Cold Fusion/"Free Energy", Fact vs Fiction
The quest, the goal, the holy grail... a source of energy to power modern society which is cheap, clean and inexhaustible. We know a great deal about the sources we have, and why they aren't good enough. Fossil fuel, the sun, geothermal, nuclear, biomass, wind, oceans, etc. And mankind looks farther:
In the realm of "known" or "generally accepted" science, we look for breakthroughs, either to improve on existing sources, or to make practical concepts we know about but can't yet implement, i.e. fusion.
In the realm of "not accepted" science, a perhaps surprisingly large number of people are hard at work to uncover phenomena that are "known" to be impossible. They are scorned, dismissed, ignored and banished by mainstream science, and with a couple of notable exceptions (e.g. cold fusion), completely ignored by the popular and science press.
"Accepted Science"
New Nuclear Fission
A quick survey: small modular reactors (SMR), alternate reactor concepts and fuel cycles.
Fusion
-- the mainstream programs with huge devices (ITER, NEF) unlikely to deliver, ever.
-- alternate approaches - smaller systems may have a chance--some are venture backed
-- aneutronic. uses different "fuels". much less radiation, but much harder to do (higher energy)
"Not Accepted Science"
•"Free Energy" • "Over unity" • "vacuum energy" • "Magnetic motors" Most of it can be dismissed, but perhaps not all. More than a few established and well trained scientists take these things quite seriously, in spite of career risks. Including, by the way, "cold fusion", aka LENR (low energy nuclear reactions).. What will we know in 50 years that we don't know now? Imagine someone describing a nuclear power plant in 1930)
Lattice Energy LLC - Radiation-free Nuclear Propulsion for Advanced Hypersoni...Lewis Larsen
Document outlines our speculative concepts about propulsion of hypersonic aircraft by the controlled triggering LENRs on nanoparticles in dusty plasmas
Lattice published document to stimulate interest in further developing this new approach to propulsion
Please note that this technical discussion presumes that further progress will be made on commercially fabricating and triggering μ-scale LENR-active sites on planar substrate surfaces and on non-planar surfaces of purpose-engineered nanoparticles comprised of multiple elements and varied isotopes
Unique properties of so called “dusty plasmas” are key to operation of this exciting application in LENR technology; these plasmas were appreciated only relatively recently, so the bulk of relevant literature about such plasmas is mostly less than 25 years old
Unlike hypersonic Lockheed Martin SR-72 UAV, Lattice would integrate an LENR dusty plasma scramjet engine with an LENR-powered 50+% efficient Brayton combined cycle turbine that generates DC electricity for power
Enormous flexibility in designing and engineering LENR nanoparticle target fuels; can choose among huge selection of different elements and materials
Could utilize optimized combinations of LENR nuclear and very energetic chemical reactions simultaneously inside the very same reaction chamber
Engine thrust control achieved by tightly regulating amounts of DC input current into dusty plasma and LENR target fuel injection rates
Incredibly high energy densities and low weight of LENR nanoparticulate target fuels might allow an LENR dusty plasma scramjet the luxury of carrying multiple fuel types that are optimized for different flight envelopes
Unlike fission or fusion technologies there would not be any radiation or radioactivity problems, even with a bad crash event in populated area
Please note that many key proprietary engineering-related details have been deliberately omitted from this presentation for obvious commercial reasons
Photophysical properties of light harvesting molecules: three different approaches (of increasing complexity and accuracy) to foresee the harvesting behaviour are reviewed with a highly didactic flow. Design principles are highlighted.
A supplementary set of slides is available among my uploads.
This document is a self-made research I did for a photochemistry course. I don't own part of the shown material and references for many public images are reported at the end.
Lattice energy LLC - Chinese chemists report photochemical triggering of LENR...Lewis Larsen
Experiments reported in 2017 by Prof. Gong-xuan Lu et al. at Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, in Lanzhou, China showed photocatalytic triggering of ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs) at NTP with visible light. Experimental results reported in “Journal of Molecular Catalysis” (China) in 2017 claimed production of Deuterium and Helium as well as nuclear transmutation of Potassium to Calcium. Very significant discovery if experimental claims can be independently confirmed by other researchers using same methods. If Lu et al.’s claims are confirmed, their work has important implications. For chemical catalysis, it suggests that LENR transmutations can occur at very low rates in parallel with ordinary chemical reactions; LENRs can coexist and interoperate at NTP. Also implies total mass-balances for chemical elements comprising reactants and products might not necessarily be conserved. For astrophysics and cosmochemistry, it means that nucleosynthesis can occur on surfaces of Hydrogen- and metal-rich dust grains irradiated by starlight.
Lattice Energy LLC- Response to Sept 2012 Univ of Rome arXiv Preprint-Oct 30 ...Lewis Larsen
Ciuchi et al. (Sept. 2012) questioned the accuracy of our estimates of electroweak neutron production rates in condensed matter. In our response (Oct. 2012), we have shown how their assertion that our calculated reaction rates were too high was incorrect and that their rate calculations were erroneous because Ciuchi et al. had assumed, incorrectly, that the e + p reaction in a condensed matter metallic hydride cell is a simple two-body process; it is not.
Lattice Energy LLC-New Data on Terrestrial Uranium 238U-235U Ratios Confirm n...Lewis Larsen
Terrestrial Uranium 238U/235U isotopic ratio is not invariant over time --- Hiess et al. (Science, 2012) confirm failure of invariance assumption; propose corrected value for ratio
Lattice Energy LLC-Game changing LENRs - What are they and amazing things the...Lewis Larsen
Lacking production of deadly radiation or hazardous long-lived radioactive wastes, LENR power systems would not require any expensive and massive shielding, containment, or waste clean-up. Coupled with intrinsic multiway scalability, these unique attributes could enable development of highly competitive commercial products with outputs ranging from milliwatts to megawatts suitable for portable, stationary, vehicular, and aerospace power markets. End-user price per BTU or kWh for LENR-based power systems could be substantially lower than prices for competing batteries or fuel cells, combustion, and present fission and fusion technologies.
Similar to Lattice Energy LLC-LENRs in catalytic converters-June 25 2010 (20)
Lattice Energy LLC - Strategic importance of accelerating commercialization o...Lewis Larsen
Prospects for commercialization of LENRs have radically improved. New Lattice report “Strategic importance of accelerating commercialization of LENRs for green radiation-free nuclear power and propulsion” aims at a broad audience and outlines strategic case for greatly increasing R&D funding to accelerate development of ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs) for CO2-free power generation. Recent Japanese government-funded NEDO project solved previously intractable problems with rational device design & fabrication, experimental repeatability, and erratic, limited thermal output that bedeviled researchers worldwide since 1989-90.
Given spectacular Japanese progress, it appears very likely that LENRs will be commercialized, probably sooner rather than later. Today, Japan is by far the experimental leader along that path; heavily involved companies include Mitsubishi Heavy industries, Toyota, and Nissan..
Lattice Energy LLC - Green hard-radiation-free len rs could provide game-chan...Lewis Larsen
Green hard-radiation-free ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs) could provide game-changing nuclear power for military combat systems ranging from aircraft to individual warfighters. LENRs are the only energy technology on the foreseeable horizon that could provide a quantum-leap in military power generation and propulsion capabilities in the 2030 - 2050 time-frame.
Lattice Energy LLC - LENRs enable green radiation-free nuclear power and prop...Lewis Larsen
If commercialized, LENRs could become one of the world’s preeminent energy technologies. At system electrical power outputs of just 5 - 10 kwh, modular LENR-based distributed power generation systems providing combined heat and electricity (CHP) could satisfy energy requirements of a majority of urban and rural households as well as smaller businesses worldwide. Much lower-output, revolutionary portable LENR power sources could displace chemical batteries in applications where ultrahigh performance and longevity are needed.
At electrical outputs of 60 - 200 kwh, LENR-based integrated power generation systems would be able to power vehicles, drones, as well as smaller aircraft and watercraft. This would break oil-based fuels’ 150-year stranglehold on internal combustion engines and decisively decarbonize the entire transportation sector. High-performance LENR thermal sources could also provide high-quality heat for many types of industrial processes.
Although they could very likely be designed and built, development of megawatt-output LENR systems is not mandatory to disrupt the world of energy for the better. If wide deployment of small-scale, low-cost LENR CHP distributed generation could be achieved, large numbers of fossil-fired and/or fission power plants would not have to be built to supply competitively priced, uninterruptible electricity to regional grids serving urbanized areas. Under that scenario, centralized grid power generation would be gradually displaced by vast numbers of smaller, price-competitive distributed LENR power systems inside homes and businesses.
Lewis Larsen - DJIA approaches previous all-time record high close of 26828 -...Lewis Larsen
Dow-Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is approaching previous all-time record high close of 26,828 - what happens next? If U.S. economy speeds-up by 3Q 2019 and/or good China-US trade deal is completed, DJIA could hit new all-time highs and increase by 3,000 to 6,000 points during next 6 - 18 months.
Lattice Energy LLC - Microbial radiation resistance transmutation of elements...Lewis Larsen
Microbial radiation resistance, possible transmutation of elements, and the dawn of life on Earth
Multi-species communities of microorganisms will expend energy to assimilate and process heavy elements like Cesium, Gold, and Uranium that -- now -- play no obvious roles in growth or metabolism. Credible experimental data suggests some bacteria are shifting isotope ratios and possibly even transmuting certain elements. How and why are microbes doing this? LENRs may explain how, but why?
Although credible experimental data suggests some microbes can transmute certain elements via LENRs, much more experimentation will be required to decisively demonstrate that microorganisms can truly transmute chemical elements at will and determine which species of microbes have such capabilities. LENRs may not be all that uncommon out in Nature; if so, there will be major implications for geochemistry, isotope geology, and nuclear waste remediation.
LENRs can mimic isotopic effects of mass-dependent and mass-independent chemical fractionation. Elements and isotopes conserve their mass-balances in purely chemical systems; that is not necessarily true if LENRs are also occurring in same systems. Accurate measurement of total mass balances for all chemical species may be needed to discriminate between chemical and nuclear processes.
ULE neutron-catalyzed transmutation is not energetically practical for more-abundant chemical elements found in living systems such as Carbon. However, transmutation could potentially be an energetically feasible and advantageous capability that could enable some fortunate microbes to produce life-critical, low-abundance catalytic active site metals that are unavailable in local environments.
Japanese government-funded project with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toyota, Nissan, and four universities is developing abiotic LENRs for power generation. Recently reported outstanding heat production results at working temperatures and pressures far lower than those found in many undersea hydrothermal vents.
Lattice Energy LLC - Korean scientists use bacteria to reduce concentration o...Lewis Larsen
Korean scientists used experimental laboratory mixtures of bacteria to reduce concentration of radioactive Cesium-137 (as indicated by gamma emissions) present in aqueous growth solutions irradiated with light at 12-hour intervals, shaken, and incubated at 25o C.
During experiments, and compared to controls, measured gamma radiation for flasks containing bacteria decreased at vastly higher rates than would be expected for ‘normal’ rate of Cs-137 β-decay. Is radioactive Cesium actually being transmuted into heavier Cs isotopes and other elements by living bacteria?
Lattice Energy LLC - LENR experiment conducted by The Aerospace Corporation r...Lewis Larsen
LENR experiment conducted independently in 2017 by The Aerospace Corporation (non-profit company that operates a FFRDC) effectively repeated excess heat results reported by the Japanese government-funded NEDO LENR fabrication and testing project. Experimental data from this confirmatory experiment was reported by Dr. Edward Beiting, a physicist and Senior Scientist at The Aerospace Corporation, in a presentation that occurred on June 5, 2018 at the ICCF-21 conference held at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado.
Lattice Energy LLC - LENRs are revolutionary disruptive energy technology for...Lewis Larsen
Safe, radiation-free ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs) expand use of nuclear power & propulsion into huge range of land vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, and spacecraft. Scales downward from large fission reactors used in nuclear naval aircraft carriers and submarines. Enormous energy densities of LENR-based power & propulsion technology could confer decisive combat systems advantages on near-future battlefields.
Lattice Energy LLC - Revolutionary LENRs for power generation - accelerating ...Lewis Larsen
Commercialization of radiation-free ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs) for power generation could potentially occur with surprising speed. In just 2.5 years, Japanese government NEDO-funded LENR device fabrication and testing project achieved TRL-4 (refuting the skeptics) and validated application of Widom-Larsen theory, materials science, and nanotech to help accelerate commercialization pathway from present developmental level of TRL-4 to future commercial LENR-based products at TRL-9.
Lattice Energy LLC - March 2 Technova seminar in Tokyo released more info re ...Lewis Larsen
Japan’s NEDO-sponsored LENR device project released additional technical details at Technova seminar held in Tokyo on March 2, 2018. Japanese government is targeting commercialization of LENRs as a revolutionary, radiation-free nuclear technology for use in power generation and propulsion applications. NEDO project results to date have demonstrated Watt-level reproducibility of excess heat in small nanocomposite LENR devices. Assuming substantial scale-up of device heat output is possible, NEDO project’s technical achievement validates future potential for LENRs to someday become an important source of green CO2-free energy.
Lattice Energy LLC - Russia announces nuclear fission-powered cruise missile ...Lewis Larsen
In globally televised speech on March 1, President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia has successfully developed and tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile with unprecedented performance capabilities. If real (which appears likely), this advanced weapon system is probably powered by an unshielded Uranium fission reactor. Such a propulsion system would almost certainly produce large emissions of deadly energetic neutron/gamma radiation and release radioactive waste particulates into reactor exhaust plumes that would be rather dangerous to exposed people and the environment.
Radiation-free ultralow energy neutron reactions (LENRs) --- which involve neither fission nor fusion --- now under development by Lattice, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toyota, and Nissan are a truly safe, green nuclear technology. Importantly, LENRs can potentially be scaled-up and might someday be able to safely propel future missiles, manned aircraft/UAVs, manned submarines/UUVs, and everyday motor vehicles.
Lattice Energy LLC - Japanese NEDO industry-academia-government project - nan...Lewis Larsen
Nanocomposite LENR devices in Japanese NEDO industry-academia-government R&D project produced enough cumulative excess heat to boil a cup of tea.
Since 1989, production of calorimetrically measured excess heat during vast majority of experiments with purpose-fabricated LENR devices was a hit-or-miss proposition. When excess heat produced, was typically < 1 Watt for periods ranging from few hours to several days. NEDO greatly improved device fabrication, reproducibility, longevity, and excess heat performance.
For years skeptics summarily dismissed LENRs as a potential new energy source because experiments were unable to produce enough excess heat to even “boil a cup of tea.” Thanks to results of NEDO project, not any more.
NEDO project has demonstrated that LENRs can produce non-trivial, Watt-level amounts of excess heat from nanocomposite multi-metal devices without emission of deadly fluxes of energetic neutron or gamma radiation --- it is safe, radiation-free nuclear technology.
Lattice Energy LLC - Japanese NEDO LENR project reported reasonably reproduci...Lewis Larsen
Japan’s NEDO industry-academia-government R&D program’s recent experimental results technically validated potential for LENRs to become major future energy source.
Excess heat was produced in ~ 80% of project’s reported LENR experiments. Whenever excess heat was created, it is most often at Watt-levels or better at reactor operating temperatures of 200 - 300 degrees C. Duration of excess heat production ranged up to weeks, which is non-trivial. Such LENR device behavior represents excellent reproducibility for complex early-stage technology. With respect to reproducibility of device fabrication methods and heat production, these are best-ever experimental results reported to date in field of LENRs.
Watt-level excess heat was produced in Hydrogen (H)- and Deuterium (D)-loaded experimental systems. No deadly energetic (MeV-energy) gamma or neutron radiation was detected during heat production in any project experimental runs. Such observations are consistent with and predicted by the Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs which posits production and capture of ultralow energy neutrons on ‘fuel’ atoms which drive hard-radiation-free nuclear transmutation reactions and decays that release nuclear binding energy in form of copious heat.
In Lattice’s opinion, NEDO project’s outstanding experimental results change LENRs’ Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from TRL-3 to TRL-4 (European Commission definitions). This is an important step in commercialization of LENRs for power generation applications.
Lattice Energy LLC - Japanese NEDO LENR project reported good progress in exc...Lewis Larsen
Japan now funding R&D in LENR technology for use in power generation applications. Quietly threw down the gauntlet to global oil industry.
January 2018: terse project report summarizing progress in Japanese government NEDO-funded R&D in LENRs for period of Oct. 2015 through Oct. 2017 was released by Technova Inc. on ResearchGate. Herein we will review and discuss NEDO project’s reported progress.
Project scientists reported significant R&D progress toward developing LENR devices that serve as powerful heat sources. Reproducibility of device fabrication techniques and excess heat output were improved. Certain nanocomposite, multi-metal LENR test devices with mass <140 grams cumulatively produced up to ~85 megajoules (MJ) of excess heat per mole (MJ/mol) of absorbed Hydrogen (H) or Deuterium (D); some: duration of heat > 1 month. By contrast, complete combustion of Hydrogen releases ~0.286 MJ/mol of H. Chemical processes cannot explain these results.
Japan, Inc. appears to be developing LENR technology to someday replace the internal combustion engine.
Lewis Larsen - Dow-Jones Industrial Average reaches 26000 - what happens next...Lewis Larsen
Dow-Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) has just gone above 26,000 for first time ever. What happens next? Boom or bust?
Short pithy answer: “We ain’t seen nothin’ yet”; quoted from Barron’s article published in February 1988
Slightly longer answer: We are presently in an era of low-inflation economic growth and explosion of new technologies. Therefore, a continued global financial and economic boom subject to episodic, healthy market price corrections is much more likely to occur than a fearsome bust like the near-collapse of U.S. financial markets in 2008 and subsequent Great Recession from which world financial markets and many national economies are just beginning to fully recover. Herein we present key reasons why this bullish scenario should transpire as events unfold.
Lattice Energy LLC - Polar vortex cold wave in USA has potential for lower te...Lewis Larsen
Today, the United States is gripped in jaws of a Polar Vortex extreme cold weather event in Midwest and Northeast. On December 27, 2017 the nighttime low temperature in Duluth, Minnesota hit bone-chilling 41 degrees below zero F. This severe cold snap is predicted to persist through January 5 – 7, 2018. How will wind & solar renewable energy sources and commercial natural gas pipelines perform during this latest Polar Vortex event in U.S.? It will be interesting to see what happens between today and mid-January 2018.
Lattice Energy LLC - Fossil fuels and nuclear vs renewables for powering elec...Lewis Larsen
Enormous potential future value for diversified portfolios of renewable, fossil-fueled, and nuclear power generation --- enable grids to have resilience against extreme weather events related to climate change and “Black Swan” volcanic eruptions.
Proverb: “In the first place … an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin (1735). Fukushima lessons: mitigate improbable extreme events if not too expensive; $200 million was thought too costly to fix backup generators in 2006 but the ‘cure’ for the 2011 nuclear disaster now costs $189 billion and could take 30 - 40 years.
What may appear ‘greener’ and less $$$ in myopic short-term decision-making about grids could end-up being extremely $$$ expensive or catastrophic in longer-term. Data suggests that is it too risky for society to put all its energy “eggs” into a single renewable basket. Lattice therefore believes balanced diversity of different types of grid power sources is best strategy for insuring 99+% future reliability and excellent resiliency of electricity grids facing onslaughts of extreme weather events and low but non-zero probability for catastrophic Black Swan volcanic eruptions.
Since high % of renewable energy sources on electricity grids is a new phenomenon and unexplored territory, there aren’t preexisting road maps to guide government regulation and critical implementation by industry. Private sector companies by nature are concerned with short-term bottom line profitability and have more narrowly focused interests; by contrast, government is responsible for insuring national energy security over much longer time-frames and broader range of grid-threatening events.
Rick Perry/DOE’s controversial NOPR to FERC in September created an important opportunity for U.S. government and industry to begin productive dialogue about how to enhance the U.S. electricity grid’s ability to maintain present reliability and adapt to climate change.
Lattice Energy LLC - US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry-DOE suggestions to FER...Lewis Larsen
U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry-DOE suggestions to FERC re improving future grid resiliency are reasonable
U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry has been heavily criticized for controversial DOE letter to FERC that proposed changes to compensation rules involving coal and nuclear power generation. Letter suggested that coal and nuclear operators should be compensated somehow for special value to grid resiliency provided by providing uninterruptible power during extreme weather events. Rick Perry-DOE further suggested that another requirement for receiving such compensation would be that eligible grid-connected dispatchable generation assets must be able to store enough fuel onsite to permit 90 days of uninterrupted electric power generation.
Ongoing climate change appears to be increasing the probability of extreme polar vortex cold snaps like what occurred in U.S. in winter of 2014; lowest temperatures during that episode only lasted for several days. Since then, there have been additional occurrences of weather extremes that drastically reduced renewable power output and lasted much longer than several days.
During 2015 there was a severe wind drought in Western United States lasting nearly six months. During December 2016 and January 2017 Germany and Western Europe experienced several protracted periods --- lasting up to one month --- during which there was little or no sun nor any wind. On January 24, power shortfall with renewables got so bad that Germany came within one dispatchable coal-fired power plant of experiencing a national power blackout. That was eerily similar to what nearly happened in Northeastern U.S. during worst of 2014 polar vortex and revealed limited resilience of Germany's Energiewende.
Given that extreme weather events can clearly cause substantial, protracted power shortfalls with renewables and natural gas plants, Rick Perry/DOE’s deep concerns about fuel security and suggestions to FERC are reasonable.
Lattice Energy LLC - LENR technology could help justify 2 trillion valuation ...Lewis Larsen
LENR technology could help justify Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s proposed US$ 2 trillion valuation for Saudi Aramco in planned 2018 company IPO.
Some outsiders and company insiders believe IPO valuation of US$ 400 billion up to maximum of 1.5 trillion are more realistic numbers. To the contrary, announcing major new R&D program in LENR technology by Aramco prior to IPO could boost valuation by increasing perceived future growth prospects and potentially enabling future production and sale of new types of revolutionary nanoparticulate CO2-free fuels derived from oil. These aromatic Carbon LENR fuels for transportation and power generation applications would have over 5,000x the energy density of gasoline.
A tale of scale & speed: How the US Navy is enabling software delivery from l...sonjaschweigert1
Rapid and secure feature delivery is a goal across every application team and every branch of the DoD. The Navy’s DevSecOps platform, Party Barge, has achieved:
- Reduction in onboarding time from 5 weeks to 1 day
- Improved developer experience and productivity through actionable findings and reduction of false positives
- Maintenance of superior security standards and inherent policy enforcement with Authorization to Operate (ATO)
Development teams can ship efficiently and ensure applications are cyber ready for Navy Authorizing Officials (AOs). In this webinar, Sigma Defense and Anchore will give attendees a look behind the scenes and demo secure pipeline automation and security artifacts that speed up application ATO and time to production.
We will cover:
- How to remove silos in DevSecOps
- How to build efficient development pipeline roles and component templates
- How to deliver security artifacts that matter for ATO’s (SBOMs, vulnerability reports, and policy evidence)
- How to streamline operations with automated policy checks on container images
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 6DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 6. In this session, we will cover Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI webinar offers an in-depth exploration of leveraging cutting-edge technologies for test automation within the UiPath platform. Attendees will delve into the integration of generative AI, a test automation solution, with Open AI advanced natural language processing capabilities.
Throughout the session, participants will discover how this synergy empowers testers to automate repetitive tasks, enhance testing accuracy, and expedite the software testing life cycle. Topics covered include the seamless integration process, practical use cases, and the benefits of harnessing AI-driven automation for UiPath testing initiatives. By attending this webinar, testers, and automation professionals can gain valuable insights into harnessing the power of AI to optimize their test automation workflows within the UiPath ecosystem, ultimately driving efficiency and quality in software development processes.
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into integrating generative AI.
2. Understanding how this integration enhances test automation within the UiPath platform
3. Practical demonstrations
4. Exploration of real-world use cases illustrating the benefits of AI-driven test automation for UiPath
Topics covered:
What is generative AI
Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath integration with generative AI
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Generative AI Deep Dive: Advancing from Proof of Concept to ProductionAggregage
Join Maher Hanafi, VP of Engineering at Betterworks, in this new session where he'll share a practical framework to transform Gen AI prototypes into impactful products! He'll delve into the complexities of data collection and management, model selection and optimization, and ensuring security, scalability, and responsible use.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 5DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 5. In this session, we will cover CI/CD with devops.
Topics covered:
CI/CD with in UiPath
End-to-end overview of CI/CD pipeline with Azure devops
Speaker:
Lyndsey Byblow, Test Suite Sales Engineer @ UiPath, Inc.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, XML continues to play a vital role in structuring, storing, and transporting data across diverse systems. The recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) present new methodologies for enhancing XML development workflows, introducing efficiency, automation, and intelligent capabilities. This presentation will outline the scope and perspective of utilizing AI in XML development. The potential benefits and the possible pitfalls will be highlighted, providing a balanced view of the subject.
We will explore the capabilities of AI in understanding XML markup languages and autonomously creating structured XML content. Additionally, we will examine the capacity of AI to enrich plain text with appropriate XML markup. Practical examples and methodological guidelines will be provided to elucidate how AI can be effectively prompted to interpret and generate accurate XML markup.
Further emphasis will be placed on the role of AI in developing XSLT, or schemas such as XSD and Schematron. We will address the techniques and strategies adopted to create prompts for generating code, explaining code, or refactoring the code, and the results achieved.
The discussion will extend to how AI can be used to transform XML content. In particular, the focus will be on the use of AI XPath extension functions in XSLT, Schematron, Schematron Quick Fixes, or for XML content refactoring.
The presentation aims to deliver a comprehensive overview of AI usage in XML development, providing attendees with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. Whether you’re at the early stages of adopting AI or considering integrating it in advanced XML development, this presentation will cover all levels of expertise.
By highlighting the potential advantages and challenges of integrating AI with XML development tools and languages, the presentation seeks to inspire thoughtful conversation around the future of XML development. We’ll not only delve into the technical aspects of AI-powered XML development but also discuss practical implications and possible future directions.
Alt. GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using ...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Dr. Sean Tan, Head of Data Science, Changi Airport Group
Discover how Changi Airport Group (CAG) leverages graph technologies and generative AI to revolutionize their search capabilities. This session delves into the unique search needs of CAG’s diverse passengers and customers, showcasing how graph data structures enhance the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated search results, mitigating the risk of “hallucinations” and improving the overall customer journey.
Pushing the limits of ePRTC: 100ns holdover for 100 daysAdtran
At WSTS 2024, Alon Stern explored the topic of parametric holdover and explained how recent research findings can be implemented in real-world PNT networks to achieve 100 nanoseconds of accuracy for up to 100 days.
Enchancing adoption of Open Source Libraries. A case study on Albumentations.AIVladimir Iglovikov, Ph.D.
Presented by Vladimir Iglovikov:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/iglovikov/
- https://x.com/viglovikov
- https://www.instagram.com/ternaus/
This presentation delves into the journey of Albumentations.ai, a highly successful open-source library for data augmentation.
Created out of a necessity for superior performance in Kaggle competitions, Albumentations has grown to become a widely used tool among data scientists and machine learning practitioners.
This case study covers various aspects, including:
People: The contributors and community that have supported Albumentations.
Metrics: The success indicators such as downloads, daily active users, GitHub stars, and financial contributions.
Challenges: The hurdles in monetizing open-source projects and measuring user engagement.
Development Practices: Best practices for creating, maintaining, and scaling open-source libraries, including code hygiene, CI/CD, and fast iteration.
Community Building: Strategies for making adoption easy, iterating quickly, and fostering a vibrant, engaged community.
Marketing: Both online and offline marketing tactics, focusing on real, impactful interactions and collaborations.
Mental Health: Maintaining balance and not feeling pressured by user demands.
Key insights include the importance of automation, making the adoption process seamless, and leveraging offline interactions for marketing. The presentation also emphasizes the need for continuous small improvements and building a friendly, inclusive community that contributes to the project's growth.
Vladimir Iglovikov brings his extensive experience as a Kaggle Grandmaster, ex-Staff ML Engineer at Lyft, sharing valuable lessons and practical advice for anyone looking to enhance the adoption of their open-source projects.
Explore more about Albumentations and join the community at:
GitHub: https://github.com/albumentations-team/albumentations
Website: https://albumentations.ai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/100504475
Twitter: https://x.com/albumentations
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Lattice Energy LLC-LENRs in catalytic converters-June 25 2010
1. Lattice Energy LLC
Commercializing a Next-Generation Source of Safe Nuclear Energy
Low Energy Neutron Reactions (LENRs) in
Automotive Catalytic Converters
Are ‘green’ LENRs occurring in common devices?
Opportunities for experimentalists
Lewis Larsen, President and CEO
“There are two possible outcomes: if
the result confirms the hypothesis,
then you've made a measurement. If
the result is contrary to the
hypothesis, then you've made a
discovery. ”
Prof. Enrico Fermi
June 25, 2010 Copyright 2010 Lattice Energy LLC All Rights Reserved 1
2. Lattice Energy LLC
Commercializing a Next-Generation Source of Safe Nuclear Energy
Contents:
Background of new W-L nuclear paradigm:
Objective and topics in this presentation …………………………………....….…… 4 - 5
LENRs can occur in a wide variety of different environments …………………… 6 - 7
Growing anomalies trigger paradigm shifts:
“As a paradigm is stretched to its limits, anomalies accumulate” ……………… 8
LENRs represent a new domain of energy:
Prof. W. Brian Arthur’s thoughts on technology .................................…………… 9 - 11
Present chemical fractionation paradigm:
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else ………….. 12 - 22
Chemical vs. nuclear paradigms:
W-L theory and LENRs vs. chemical fractionation explanations …………….…. 23 - 24
Assumptions about chemical systems:
Chemistry assumptions can break down on small length scales ..…..………… 25 - 26
Technical side note about ULM neutron capture cross-sections ………………. 27
Consequences of local breakdown in chemistry assumptions …………………. 28 - 32
Recap of W-L theory in metallic hydride systems:
Weak interaction processes are very important in LENRs ………………........… 34
Idealized nanoscale side view of LENRs on a hydride surface ……………..….. 35
Chemical and nuclear energy realms interconnect in small regions ………...… 36
Can’t boil tea, but LENRs boil metal on nanoscale ……………………………..…. 37
SEM images show evidence of micron-scale heating by LENRs …………….….. 38
June 25, 2010 Copyright 2010 Lattice Energy LLC All Rights Reserved 2
3. Lattice Energy LLC
Commercializing a Next-Generation Source of Safe Nuclear Energy
Contents:
LENRs in catalytic converters of cars and trucks:
Introductory remarks ……….…………………………………………………….……... 40
Catalytic converters in vehicles …………….…………………………..………….….. 41
Images of catalytic converters and components …………………………………… 42
Modern three-way catalytic converters ……………………..…….…………….……. 43 - 44
What is required for LENRs to occur? …………………………………….………….. 45 - 46
Resonant electromagnetic (E-M) cavities in catalytic converters ……………….. 47
What would be observed if LENRs were occurring therein? ……..………..…….. 48
Carbon ……………………………………………………………………………………… 49
Hydrogen ……………………………………………………………………...…………… 50 - 52
Oxygen ………………………………………………………………………………..……. 53 - 55
Nitrogen ……………………………………………………………………….…………… 55 - 57
Palladium ………………………………………………………………………….……….. 58 - 62
Platinum …………………………………………………………………………………… 63
Rhodium ……………………………………………………………………………………. 64
Osmium …………………………………………………………………………………….. 65 - 67
Other oddities ………………………………………………………………………….….. 68
Opportunities for experimentalists ………………………………………………….… 69
More evidence chemical fractionation paradigm is strained:
Briani et al. - extraordinary Nitrogen-15 anomalies in primordial chondrite …... 71
“These results call for a new theoretical and experimental approach” ……...… 72
Further thoughts and future possibilities:
Four items …………………………………………………………………………………. 74
Thomas Kuhn opines on good theories …………………………..…………………. 75
Expanded version of “Primer” to publish soon in Pramana ……..………..…….. 76
June 25, 2010 Copyright 2010 Lattice Energy LLC All Rights Reserved 3
4. Lattice Energy LLC
Commercializing a Next-Generation Source of Safe Nuclear Energy
Background of new W-L nuclear paradigm
Objective and topics in this presentation - 1
Our objective is to discuss some fascinating experimental data and introduce
more ideas about applications of the new breakthrough W-L theory that we
hope will intrigue curious readers and scientists (especially experimentalists).
Herein, we will provide:
Citations, quotations from published papers, and discussion of
experimental data from technical publications reporting identification of
various elements/isotopic products found in exhaust emissions
emanating from catalytic converters commonly installed in cars and
trucks powered by gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines
We believe this evidence indicates that LENRs may be occurring in
catalytic converters
Please be aware that the following discussion involves a radical (some might
say heretical) paradigm-shift in thinking about the types of environments
where nuclear reactions may occur. LENRs may well be relatively common ---
hidden in plain sight
June 25, 2010 Copyright 2010 Lattice Energy LLC All Rights Reserved 4
5. Lattice Energy LLC
Commercializing a Next-Generation Source of Safe Nuclear Energy
Background of new W-L nuclear paradigm
Objective and topics in this presentation -2
Previous Technical Overviews - for more technical details, including key theoretical
concepts underlying this presentation, please see: 78-slide Lattice SlideShare
Technical Overview dated June 25, 2009; 65-slide Lattice SlideShare Technical
Overview dated September 3, 2009, periodically updated Resource Guide for
Readers that was initially published on SlideShare during September 2009; as well
as a 61-slide SlideShare Technical Overview dated November 25, 2009
Recapping - in the November 25, 2009, Technical Overview we discussed W-L
theory as it may apply to LENRs involving relatively common organic molecules
called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This new physical regime,
wherein ULM neutron-catalyzed LENRs can potentially be triggered on PAHS with a
combination of pressure, temperature, and hydrogen isotopes in the presence of
certain metals (e.g., Pd, Pt, etc.), was discovered by Tadahiko Mizuno of Hokkaido
University (Japan) in the course of innovative LENR transmutation experiments
involving Phenanthrene (a 3-ring PAH) that were first reported back in 2008
Herein - using extensions of W-L theory to PAHs outlined in the November 25,
2009, SlideShare Technical Overview, we will present and discuss published
isotopic data we believe suggests that LENRs may be occurring at low rates in
car/truck catalytic converters; fruitful opportunities await experimentalists here!
June 25, 2010 Copyright 2010 Lattice Energy LLC All Rights Reserved 5
6. Lattice Energy LLC
Commercializing a Next-Generation Source of Safe Nuclear Energy
Background of new W-L nuclear paradigm
LENRs can occur in a wide variety of different environments - 1
Since the 1930s, it has been widely held that nuclear transmutation reactions
could only take place within certain special environments, e.g., in fission reactors,
nuclear weapons, or stars. In all other cases, strictly chemical processes (which
by definition cannot produce new chemical elements not previously present in a
system and/or changes to ratios of stable isotopes) were assumed to be at work
Pons & Fleischmann’s 1989 discovery of what seemed to be nuclear processes
operating inside otherwise prosaic D2O electrolytic chemical cells challenged this
long-established conceptual paradigm about nuclear phenomena. On top of their
irreproducible results, P&F’s speculation that radiation-free “excess heat” and He-
4 observed in their experiments resulted from a D-D “cold fusion” process further
fueled scientific controversy about LENRs that has continued to the present
Beginning in May 2005, the Widom-Larsen theory of LENRs has shown, using
known physics, how energetic nuclear processes can occur in ordinary chemical
cells. Our theory posits that in condensed matter systems, many-body collective
effects allow the otherwise disparate chemical and nuclear energy realms to
interconnect in special, micron-scale regions on surfaces and on small particles
June 25, 2010 Copyright 2010 Lattice Energy LLC All Rights Reserved 6
7. Lattice Energy LLC
Commercializing a Next-Generation Source of Safe Nuclear Energy
Background of new W-L nuclear paradigm
LENRs can occur in a wide variety of different environments - 2
In our numerous publications to date, we have shown theoretically how LENRs
may potentially occur in a diverse range of different types of experimental
systems and natural environments that presently include, among other things:
Aqueous electrolytic chemical cells, including ‘glow-discharge’ types (EPJC, 2006)
Metallic hydride ‘membranes’ with gas-phase pressure gradients (e.g., Iwamura et al.)
Exploding wires and related electric discharges (e.g., high-current vacuum diodes a la
Proton-21, Z-pinches, and natural lightning) as noted in SlideShare of June 25, 2009
Surfaces of hydrogenated fullerenes and graphene as well as carbon ring structures
(e.g., benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - PAHs) in prosaic chemical
reactors that combine heat, and/or pressure, and metallic catalysts (see the Lattice
SlideShare presentations dated September 3, and November 25, 2009, cited earlier)
Atmospheres of stars out through their coronas, as well as on surfaces of small
particles embedded in hydrogen-rich dust clouds located in stellar ‘nurseries’ as well
as highly organized magnetic structures associated with black hole accretion disks
and other types compact massive objects. Please note that vast majority of
astronomers/astrophysicists presently believe nucleosynthesis only occurs inside
stellar cores and supernovae (see SlideShare presentation dated November 25, 2009)
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Growing anomalies trigger paradigm shifts
“As a paradigm is stretched to its limits, anomalies accumulate”
“As a paradigm is stretched to its limits, anomalies - failures of the current paradigm to take into account observed phenomena –
accumulate … Some anomalies may be dismissed as errors in observation, others as merely requiring small adjustments to the
current paradigm that will be clarified in due course. Some anomalies resolve themselves spontaneously, having increased the
available depth of insight along the way. But no matter how great or numerous the anomalies that persist, Kuhn observes, the
practicing scientists will not lose faith in the established paradigm for as long as no credible alternative is available.”
“What is arguably the most famous example of a revolution in scientific thought is the Copernican Revolution. In Ptolemy's school of
thought, cycles and epicycles (with some additional concepts) were used for modeling the movements of the planets in a cosmos that
had a stationary Earth at its center. As the accuracy of celestial observations increased, the complexity of the Ptolemaic cyclical and
epicyclical mechanisms had to increase in step with the increased accuracy of the observations, in order to maintain the calculated
planetary positions close to the observed positions … The Ptolemaic approach of using cycles and epicycles was becoming strained:
there seemed to be no end to the mushrooming growth in complexity required to account for the observable phenomena … epicycles
were not eliminated in Europe until the 17th century … Whether or not Copernicus’ models were simpler than Ptolemy’s is moot.
Copernicus eliminated Ptolemy’s … equant but at a cost of additional epicycles. Various 16th-century books based on Ptolemy and
Copernicus use about equal numbers of epicycles. The idea that Copernicus used only 34 circles in his system comes from his own
statement in a preliminary unpublished sketch … By the time he published De revolutionibus orbium coelestium, he had added more
circles. Counting the total number is difficult, but estimates are that he created a system just as complicated, or even more so. The
popular total of about 80 circles for the Ptolemaic system … may have been inspired by the non-Ptolemaic system of Girolamo
Fracastoro, who used either 77 or 79 orbs in his system [to describe the apparent motions of the then eight known planets].”
“Johannes Kepler was the first person to abandon the tools of the Ptolemaic paradigm. Later, Newton showed that Kepler's three laws
could all be derived from a single theory of motion and planetary motion. … Newtonian Mechanics eliminated the need for
deferent/epicycle methods altogether and produced theories many times more powerful. “
Source: Wikipedia articles, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” and “Deferent and epicycle” as of December 23, 2009
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LENRs represent a new domain of energy
Prof. W. Brian Arthur’s thoughts on technology - 1
“It will probably have struck the reader that the overall cycle I am describing resembles
the cycle Thomas Kuhn proposed for the development of scientific theories. Kuhn’s
cycle starts when a new theoretical model working on a new principle (he calls this a
paradigm) replaces an old one … [this happens because] … Over time, examples that
do not fit the base paradigm - anomalies - build up. The paradigm is stretched to
accommodate these, but becomes increasingly strained as further anomalies build up.
It collapses when and only when a newer, more satisfactory set of explanations - a
newer paradigm - arrives.” pp. 141 - 142
“As the [older, widely accepted reigning dominant] theory develops it elaborates – it
adds addenda, further definitions, codicils, and special [ad hoc] constructions – all to
take into consideration different special cases. And if the special cases do not quite fit,
the theory becomes stretched; it adds the equivalent of epicycles. Eventually when
confronted with sufficient anomalies its ‘performance’ diminishes and a new principle
or paradigm is sought. A novel structure comes into being when the preceding one is
stretched and fails. Kuhn’s cycle repeats.” pp. 142
W. Brian Arthur, “The Nature of Technology – What it is and how it evolves,” Free Press, 2009
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LENRs represent a new domain of energy
Prof. W. Brian Arthur’s thoughts on technology - 2
“… eventually there comes a time when neither component replacement nor structural
deepening [of the older, dominant paradigm] add much to performance. If further
advancement is sought, a [new] novel principle is needed.” pp. 138
“There is a … reason the old [dominant conceptual paradigm] … persists beyond its
time, an economic one. Even if a novel principle is developed and does perform better
than the old, adopting it may mean changing surrounding [economic, academic, and
governmental] structures and organizations. This is expensive and for that reason may
not happen … another reason is psychological. The old principle lives on because
practitioners are not comfortable with the vision – and promise – of the new. Origination
is not just a new way of doing things, but a new way of seeing things … And the new
threatens … to make the old expertise obsolete. Often in fact, some version of the new
principle [paradigm] has been already touted or already exists and has been dismissed
by standard practitioners, not necessarily because lack of imagination. But because it
creates a cognitive dissonance, an emotional mismatch, between the potential of the
new and the security of the old.” pp. 139 “This time is likely to be decades not years.”
W. Brian Arthur, “The Nature of Technology – What it is and how it evolves,” Free Press, 2009
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LENRs represent a new domain of energy
Prof. W. Brian Arthur’s thoughts on technology - 3
“Sometimes elements [of revolutionary technologies] cluster because they share a
common theory … What delineates a cluster of technologies is always some form of
commonality, some shared and natural ability of components to work together. I will call
such clusters – such bodies of technology – domains. A domain will be any cluster of
components drawn from in order to form devices or methods, along with its collection
of practices and knowledge, its rules of combination, and … associated way of
thinking.” pp. 70 “All of this unfolding … and readjustment takes a great deal of time.”
“A technology (individual, that is) does a job; it achieves a purpose – often a very
particular purpose. A domain (technology-plural) does no job; it merely exists as a
toolbox of useful components to be drawn from, a set of practices to be used. A
technology defines a product or a process. A domain defines no [particular] product; it
forms a constellation of technologies – a mutually supporting set – and when these are
represented by the firms that produce them, it defines a [new] industry. A technology is
invented; it is put together by someone. A domain – think of radio engineering as a
whole – is not invented; it emerges piece by piece from its individual parts.” pp. 71
W. Brian Arthur, “The Nature of Technology – What it is and how it evolves,” Free Press, 2009
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 1
Modern isotopic chemical analysis using mass spectrometry initially began in the early 1920s as
scientists started designing and building progressively better, more sensitive types of instruments;
the scientific community gradually began to systematically measure and publish abundances of
stable and unstable isotopes found on earth as well as in meteoritic materials from outer space
Extensive compilations of varied isotopic data eventually lead to the idea of the “natural
abundances:” natural abundance (NA) refers to the isotopic composition of a given chemical
element as it is naturally found on a particular planet, e.g., earth. For a given element composed
of one or more isotopes, a weighted average of the naturally occurring composition of these
isotopes (natural abundance) is the specific value for atomic weight that is listed for that element
in the periodic table. Note that although the ‘natural’ isotopic composition of a given chemical
element can vary from planet to planet, it should remain essentially constant over geological time
(except in the case of elements having one or more radioactive isotopes). On a given planet, the
characteristic isotopic composition of a given element, i.e., its natural abundance, should be
essentially identical everywhere. For example, in the case of the element Copper on earth, it is
comprised of two stable isotopes that typically occur in ~ the following proportions: 69% Cu-63
and 31% Cu-65. With many terrestrial elements, one out of several stable isotopes frequently
predominates --- the others may be present only in minor traces --- e.g., in the case of natural
Oxygen one would in principle measure ~ 99.759% O-16; 0.0374% O-17; and 0.2039% O-18.
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 2
Statistically significant deviations from natural abundances One example of a classic paper
began to appear in some early isotopic data collected by on abundances is: White, J. R.
and Cameron, A. E., “The
scientists; such anomalies were observed in many different Natural Abundance of Isotopes
types of experimental chemical reaction systems and in the of Stable Elements,” Physical
natural environment , as well as in meteoritic materials Review 74 pp. 991-1000 (1948)
Given that the observed isotopic anomalies in question
obviously did not involve material freshly processed in Two widely cited early papers on
chemical isotopic fractionation
stars, fission reactors, or nuclear explosions, it was readily are as follows:
assumed that significant deviations from natural isotopic
abundances had to be the result of chemical processes Bigeleisen, J. and Mayer, M. J.,
“Calculation of equilibrium
In the 1940-50s, early theories of “chemical fractionation” constant for isotope exchange
were published in an effort to explain significant anomalies reaction,” Chem. Phys. 15 pp.
from natural abundances found in some experimental data. 261-267 (1947)
These early theories mainly involved equilibrium isotope
Urey, H.C., “The thermodynamic
effects in reversible chemical systems and kinetic effects of properties of isotopic
isotopes on reaction rates in irreversible chemical systems substances,” J. Chem. Soc. pp.
(details will explained shortly in subsequent slides) 562-581 (1947)
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 3
Since the 1950s, development of an increasing variety of The first reliable report of an of an
progressively improved, much less expensive, and isotopic anomaly that could not
substantially more accurate mass spectroscopy techniques plausibly be explained by simple
has enabled M-S to be utilized in many different fields. A physical processes such as
vast quantity of reliable isotopic data has thus accumulated condensation or evaporation ---
phase changes --- (i.e., it was mass-
Since early theories of chemical isotopic fractionation were independent ) was published by
Clayton, R., Grossman, L., and
directly tied to mass differences between isotopes, their Mayeda, T., “A component of
applicability was generally limited to lighter elements in the primitive nuclear composition in
periodic table (from hydrogen out through roughly sulfur) carbonaceous meteorites,” in
where % differences in relative masses are large enough to Science 182 pp. 485-488 (1973)
have a plausibly significant impact on isotopic separation
Mass-independent fractionation is
via some form of mass-sensitive physico-kinetic process now utilized to explain a growing
body of anomalous, perhaps
Today’s fractionation theories include equilibrium and otherwise chemically inexplicable
kinetic effects and mass-independent: nuclear field shift, isotopic data. For Oxygen, see
photochemical, and Q-M symmetry effects that attempt to Michalski, G. and Bhattacharya, S.,
extend such concepts to higher-mass elements/isotopes in “Role of symmetry in the mass-
the periodic table. Details follow in next 8 slides; readers independent isotope effect in ozone,”
uninterested in such technical information may skip them PNAS 106 pp. S493-S496 (2009)
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 4
Isotope fractionation: “… is the physical phenomenon which causes changes in the relative abundance of isotopes
due to their differences in mass. There are two categories of isotope effects: equilibrium and kinetic.”
“An equilibrium isotope effect will cause one isotope to concentrate in one component of a reversible system that is
in equilibrium. If it is the heavier isotope that concentrates in the component of interest, then that component is
commonly referred to as enriched or heavy. If it is the light isotope that concentrates then the component is referred
to as depleted or light. In most circumstances the heavy isotope concentrates in the component in which the element
is bound more strongly and thus equilibrium isotope effects usually reflect relative differences in the bond strengths
of the isotopes in the various components of the system. A kinetic isotope effect occurs when one isotope reacts
more rapidly than the other in an irreversible system or a system in which the products are swept away from the
reactants before they have an opportunity to come to equilibrium. Normally, the lighter isotope will react more rapidly
than the heavy isotope and thus the product will be lighter than the reactant.”
“It should be noted that isotope fractionation will only occur in systems in which there is both an isotope effect and a
reaction that does not proceed to completion. Thus, even in the presence of an isotope effect, there will be no
isotope fractionation if all the reactant goes to a single product because all the atoms have reacted and thus the ratio
of the heavy to light isotope must be the same in the product as it was in the reactant. The magnitude of an isotope
effect is expressed as a fractionation factor. This is defined as the ratio of the heavy to light isotope in the product
divided by the ratio of the heavy to light isotope in the reactant. Stated mathematically:”
“When f is greater than 1, the product is heavy or enriched. When it is less than 1, the product is light or depleted.
Most fractionation factors lie between 0.9 and 1.1, but deuterium isotope effects can result in much smaller or larger
fractionation factors. A fractionation factor of 1.050 is often referred to as a 5% isotope effect.”
Source of Definition: D. Schoeller and A. Coward at http://www.unu.unupress/food2/uid05e/uid05e0e.htm
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 5
“Mass-independent (isotope) fractionation: refers to any chemical or physical process that acts to separate isotopes, where the
amount of separation does not scale in proportion with the difference in the masses of the isotopes. Most isotope fractionations
(including typical kinetic fractionations and equilibrium fractionations) are caused by the effects of the mass of an isotope on atomic or
molecular velocities, diffusivities, or bond strengths. Mass-independent fractionation processes are less common, occurring mainly
in photochemical and spin-forbidden reactions. Observation of mass-independently fractionated materials can therefore be used to trace
these types of reactions in nature and in laboratory experiments.”
“Mass-independent fractionation in nature: the most notable examples of mass-independent fractionation in nature are found in
the isotopes of oxygen and sulfur. The first example was discovered by Robert N. Clayton, Toshiko Mayeda, and Lawrence Grossman in
1973, in the oxygen isotopic composition of refractory calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite. The inclusions, thought to
be among the oldest solid materials in the Solar System, show a pattern of low 18O/16O and 17O/16O relative to samples from the Earth
and Moon. Both ratios vary by the same amount in the inclusions, although the mass difference between 18O and 16O is almost twice as
large as the difference between 17O and 16O. Originally this was interpreted as evidence of incomplete mixing of 16O-rich material (created
and distributed by a large star in a supernova) into the Solar nebula. However, recent measurement of the oxygen-isotope composition of
the Solar wind, using samples collected by the Genesis spacecraft, shows that the most 16O-rich inclusions are close to the bulk composition
of the solar system. This implies that Earth, the Moon, Mars and asteroids all formed from 18O- and 17O-enriched material. Photochemical
dissociation of carbon monoxide in the Solar nebula has been proposed to explain this isotope fractionation. Another important mass-
independent fractionation is found in ozone in the stratosphere. 1:1 variation of 18O/16O and 17O/16O in ozone was discovered in laboratory
synthesis experiments by John Heidenreich and Mark Thiemens in 1983, and later found in stratospheric air samples measured by Konrad
Mauersberger. Theoretical calculations by Rudolph Marcus and others suggest that 18O- and 17O enrichment in ozone is caused by the
effects of 17O and 18O on molecular symmetry, and on the lifetimes of intermediate, excited states in the synthesis reaction.”
“Mass-independent fractionation: has also recently been discovered in sulfur from ancient geological samples, particularly those
formed more than 2,450 million years ago, by James Farquhar, Huiming Bao, and Mark Thiemens. Although the details of the
fractionation process are not yet known, it appears most likely to be caused by photochemical reactions involving sulfur-bearing molecules in
the early atmosphere. The creation and transfer of the mass-independent signature into minerals would be unlikely in an atmosphere
containing abundant oxygen, indicating that the atmosphere was anoxic during the Archaean eon, before 2,450 million years ago.”
Source: quoted from Wikipedia as of June 3, 2010, at URL = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass-independent_fractionation
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 6
Nuclear field shift effect in mass independent isotope fractionation: “The classic theory of stable isotope fractionation in
chemical exchange reactions has been established by Bigeleisen, Mayer, and Urey in 1947. The theory was based on the difference
of molecular vibrational energies of isotopomers that are proportional to the respective masses, and hence, results in mass-
dependent isotope effect only. In 1996, this conventional mass-dependent theory has been expanded by Bigeleisen to include a
mass-independent term named the nuclear field shift effect. The nuclear field shift is an isotope shift in orbital electrons, which
results from the isotopic difference in nuclear size and shape. The new equation defined by Bigeleisen (at a constant temperature)
can be simply expressed as, ln α = δ<r2> A + (δ m/mm') B, where α is the isotope separation factor, δ<r2> isotopic difference in
mean-square nuclear charge radius, δm difference between isotopic masses m and m'. A and B are scaling factors of the nuclear
field shift effect and the conventional mass effect, respectively. Since this new theory was presented, the mass-independent isotope
fractionation of various elements, e.g., Ti, Cr, Ni, Zn, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ru, Cd, Te, Ba, Nd, Sm, Gd, Yb, and U, found in chemical exchange
systems has been successfully explained as the nuclear field shift effect. In our most recent studies, the nuclear field shift effect of
Cr, Mo, Ru, Cd, and Te isotopes has been found in laboratory scale experiments. The isotopes of these elements were fractionated
by using a liquid-liquid extraction system (a ligand exchange system) at room temperature. The isotopic analysis was performed by
the multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) with a typical precision of <100 ppm (at ENS
Lyon or UC Davis). Isotope enrichment factors did not show mass-dependent trend, but possessed a similar variation of their nuclear
charge radii. For Cr, we tested a different chemical exchange system (a redox system): at high temperature (723-1023 K), an
eutectic melt was contacted with a liquid metal. In this system, the nuclear field shift effect of Cr was also found. All these
experimental results suggest that the nuclear field shift effect may occur in every chemical exchange reaction at various
temperatures to various degrees … isotopic anomalies found in a natural system might be partly or largely affected by the nuclear
field shift effect via chemical reactions occurred in the nature. In order to clarify the degree and significance of its contribution, we
may need to pay more attention to the nuclear field shift effect created chemically.”
Source: “Nuclear field shift effect in chemical exchange reactions,” Fujii, T; Moynier, F; Yin, Q.; and Albarède, F.
Meeting abstract for presentation: American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, California: December 10-14, 2007 at
https://www.geology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/pubs/agu07/yin07_3.html
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 7
Stable isotope ratios are commonly expressed in δ-notation:
R sample - R standard
δ =( R standard ) x1000
Wherein by convention: R = ratio = ( ) Xheavy isotope
Xlight isotope
e.g.,
Source: Prof. Paul Asimow, Caltech, slide from a Geology lecture in 2006
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Overview XVI - Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 8
The x1000 in the previous slide implies that the units on δ are parts per thousand, per mil, or ‰
Source: Prof. Paul Asimow, Caltech, slide from a Geology lecture in 2006
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 9
Below is Prof. Asimow’s ‘map’ showing the elements in the periodic table for which mass-
dependent or mass-independent chemical fractionation processes are deemed applicable:
IA IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA VIIA VIIIA
1 2
1 H Standard Repertoire He
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 Li Be Limited or recent use only B C N O F Ne
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
3 Na Mg IIIB IVB VB VIB VIIB VIIIB IB IIB Al Si P S Cl Ar
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
4 K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
5 Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
55 56 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
6 Cs Ba Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
87 88 104 105 106 107 108 109
7 Fr Ra Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt
57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71
Lanthanides La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
Actinides Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
Source: Adapted from Prof. Paul Asimow, Caltech, slide from a Geology lecture in 2006
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 10
Mass-independent fractionation effects:
• “Looking at three isotopes of the same element, all mass-dependent fractionation (whether equilibrium or
kinetic) should displace samples along the same line (e.g., slope 1/2 in δ17O - δ18O space)”
• “Clayton and Mayeda (1974) demonstrated that different classes of meteorites define different such lines,
but that all objects from a given parent body (e.g., earth-moon system) share a common line”
• “But chondrites show a BIG depletion in 16O along a line with slope one, originally interpreted as a
nucleosynthetic effect, i.e. imperfect mixing into solar system of some pure 16O material from a separate
stellar source”
• “But Thiemens and coworkers discovered in the 1980’s that certain reactions involving ozone (O3) can
fractionate isotopes independent of mass due to a quantum mechanical symmetry effect (there are more
distinct states for 18O16O16O or 17O16O16O than for 16O16O16O; explained in detail by Gao and Marcus
(2001) in a prize-winning Caltech thesis)”
• “No real mechanism has been proposed, but the possibility of mass-independent chemical effects casts
doubt on the need for nucleosynthetic explanation of the three O-isotope heterogeneity of the solar system”
• “The symmetry mechanism also works for SO2 and has been invoked to explain anomalies in ∆33S ~ δ33S–
δ34S in Archaean rocks, when presumably atmosphere was more reducing and H2SO4 less dominant”
Source: Prof. Paul Asimow, Caltech, slide from a Geology lecture in 2006
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Present chemical fractionation paradigm
Nuclear reactions in few places; chemistry explains everything else - 11
Example: explanation of 13C abundance variations according to the chemical paradigm:
“The ratio of Carbon-12 to Carbon-13 is constant in earth’s atmosphere. There are always 100 12C
atoms to one 13C atom. During the process of photosynthesis, plants absorb the carbon atoms in
earth’s atmosphere, water, and soil, and store them in the cells of their leaves, fruits, nuts, and
roots. But as a result of the photosynthesis process, the ratio of the forms of carbon gets changed
as it is being stored.“
“The alteration of the chemical ratio is different for plants in different parts of the world. For
example, plants that live in regions with lots of sun and little water have relatively fewer 12C atoms
in their cells (compared to13C) than do plants that live in forests or wetlands. This ratio is hardwired
into the plant’s cells, and—here’s the best part—as the cells get passed up the food chain (i.e., the
roots, leaves, and fruit are eaten by animals and humans), the ratio of 12C to 13C) remains virtually
unchanged as it is in turned stored in bones, teeth and hair of the animals and humans.”
“In other words, if you can determine the ratio of 12C to 13C in an animal's bones, you can figure
out what kind of climate the plants it ate during its lifetime came from. The measuring takes mass
spectrometer analysis; but that’s another story, too.”
Source: http://archaeology.about.com/od/stableisotopes/qt/dummies.htm
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Chemical vs. Nuclear Paradigms
W-L theory and LENRs vs. chemical fractionation explanations - 1
For ~ 60 years, a body of theory has been developed and
articulated to explain progressively increasing numbers of
stable isotope anomalies observed in a vast array of mass
spectroscopic data obtained from many different types of
natural and experimental, abiological and biological,
systems. Central ideas in chemical “fractionation” theory
embody equilibrium and irreversible, mass-dependent and
mass-independent, chemical processes that are claimed to
separate isotopes, thus explaining the reported anomalies
Although not explicitly acknowledged by fractionation
theorists, an intrinsic fundamental assumption underlying
all of this theory and interpretation of data is that no
nucleosynthetic processes are occurring anywhere in any
of these systems, at any time, that are capable of altering
isotope ratios and/or producing new mixtures of different
elements over time; ergo, chemistry explains everything
However, if the Widom-Larsen theory is correct, for some of
this data the above fundamental assumption may be wrong
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Chemical and Nuclear Paradigms
W-L theory and LENRs vs. chemical fractionation explanations - 2
Before proceeding further, let it be crystal clear to readers exactly what we are
and are not saying here:
We are not asserting that the existing chemical fractionation paradigm fails
to adequately explain most reported isotope anomalies with respect to
statistically significant deviations from natural abundances --- indeed, it
may well effectively and accurately explain the vast majority of them!
We are saying that the presently available published literature does
contain a significant subset comprising many cases in which the chemical
fractionation paradigm must be pushed very hard (which includes use of
various ad hoc constructs) to explain certain isotope anomalies, i.e. it is
being overly stretched to be able to comfortably accommodate some data
We are suggesting that in those particular instances, it may be fruitful for
researchers to reexamine such data through the conceptual lens of the
LENR paradigm to determine whether the new W-L approach can help lead
to a deeper, easier understanding of reported experimental data. In some
cases, it well may; in others it may not --- but we should look anyway
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Assumptions about chemical systems
Chemistry assumptions can break down on small length scales - 1
As background, let us briefly review some underlying, implicit “Toto, I have the feeling we're
assumptions about chemical systems that have not been much not in Kansas anymore.“
questioned since 1912, when Bohr and Rutherford formulated Dorothy in “The Wizard of
Oz” (1939)
modern ideas of atomic structure and 1927, when the Born-
Oppenheimer approximation (which is a physically justifiable “There is nothing as deceptive
simplifying assumption) made quantum mechanical calculations as an obvious fact.”
mathematically tractable for less complicated atoms such as Sherlock Holmes, “The
hydrogen and not-too-large molecules (e.g., benzene) Boscombe Valley Mystery”
(1891)
After 1927, chemistry's recognized domain was narrowed to
comprise phenomena involving electron clouds surrounding "These are very deep waters."
atomic nuclei and the dynamics of outer valence electrons that Sherlock Holmes, “The
Adventure of the Speckled
interact with Coulomb electric fields induced by positively charged Band” (1892)
protons in nuclei; particle energies in chemical systems are thus
typically in the eV range. Chemistry typically involves atomic and “ “ … when you have
molecular phenomena at temperatures of up to ~6,000o C and non- eliminated the impossible,
degenerate electron pressures; it customarily excludes subatomic whatever remains, however
particles and their very fast, vastly more energetic MeV-and-higher improbable, must be the truth.”
nuclear reactions, as well as matter found in extremely hot, highly Sherlock Holmes, “The Sign
of the Four” (1890)
ionized plasmas at temperatures of up to millions of degrees
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Assumptions about chemical systems
Chemistry assumptions can break down on small length scales - 2
According to W-L theory: in condensed matter chemical systems (as opposed to large-length-
scale, magnetically dominated regimes explained in our technical publications), LENRs are
primarily surface phenomena that can, under exactly the right conditions, occur in scattered,
discrete regions with dimensions that range from as little as ~0.28 nanometers (benzene ring) up
to ~100 microns (105 nm) on metal hydrides. In such tiny, uniquely different regions the:
Born-Oppenheimer approximation breaks down; many-body electron-nucleon (p+, d+, t+) dynamics can locally
become electromagnetically (E-M) coupled (think of these hydrogen atoms behaving as ‘bare nuclei’)
Many-body, collectively oscillating, coherent (i.e., particles effectively Q-M ‘entangled’), spatially contiguous
collections of protons, deuterons, or tritons E-M couple to immediately adjacent: surface plasmon polariton
electrons on metallic hydride surfaces; or, collectively oscillating π electrons located on the ‘surfaces’ of
benzene rings, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), fullerenes, and graphane/graphene structures
Local coupling of many-body, collective oscillations of protons/deuterons/tritons with electrons creates
nuclear-strength local electric fields >1011 V/m that renormalize masses of coupled electrons (e*); this enables
ultra low momentum neutron (ULMN) production via e*+p or e*+d weak interaction; ~all ULMNs captured locally
Purely chemical reactions always ‘conserve’ and preserve elements found in both reactants and products;
once ULM neutrons are introduced to a system, ‘conservation of elements’ assumption is not necessarily valid
In systems with LENRs, some of chemistry’s key fundamental assumptions break down and are
violated on small length scales. Thus, while ‘pure chemistry’ may reign supreme on 98 - 99% of a
given sample surface, there can be many tiny sub-regions comprising just a few % of the total
surface area in which W-L weak interaction-dominated nuclear processes can also occur
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Assumptions about chemical systems
Technical side note about ULM neutron capture cross-sections
Unlike energetic neutrons produced in most nuclear reactions, Please note: ultra low momentum
(ULM) neutrons have enormous
collectively produced LENR neutrons are effectively ‘standing still’ absorption cross-sections on 1/v
at the moment of their creation in condensed matter. Since they are isotopes. For example, Lattice has
vastly below thermal energies (ultra low momentum), ULM neutrons estimated the ULMN fission
have huge DeBroglie wavelengths (from nm to ~100 microns) and capture cross-section on U-235 to
be ~1 million barns (b) and on Pu-
accordingly large capture cross-sections on nearby nuclei; most or 239 at 49,000b, vs. ~586 b and
all will be locally absorbed; few will be detectable as ‘free’ neutrons ~752b, respectively, for ‘typical’
neutrons at thermal energies
For the vast majority of stable and unstable isotopes, their neutron A neutron capture expert recently
capture cross-section (relative to measurements of cross-sections estimated the ULMN capture
cross-section on He-4 at ~20,000b
at thermal energies where v = 2,200 m/sec and the DeBroglie vs. a value of <1 b for thermal
wavelength is ~ 2 Angstroms) is proportional to ~1/v, where v is neutrons; this is a huge increase
velocity of a neutron in m/sec. Since v is extraordinarily small for By comparison, the highest
ULM neutrons, their capture cross-sections on atomic nuclei will known thermal n capture cross
therefore be correspondingly larger. After being collectively section for any stable isotope is
Gadolinium-157 at ~49,000b
created, an enormous percentage of the ULMNs produced will be
locally absorbed before scattering on nearby atoms can elevate The highest measured cross-
section for any unstable isotope is
them to thermal kinetic energies; per Prof. S. Lamoreaux (Yale) Xenon-135 at ~2.7 million b
thermalization would require ~0.1 to 0.2 msec, i.e. 10-4 sec., a long Crucial point: ULMNs have many-
time on typical 10-16 – 10-19 sec. time-scale of nuclear reactions body scattering, NOT 2-3 body
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Assumptions about chemical systems
Consequences of local breakdown in chemistry assumptions - 1
Please recall the basic LENR Nuclear Realm (MeVs)
W-L neutron
Occurs within micron-scale ‘patches’
production
equation for fractionation:
interaction
e − + p+ → n
~ +ν e
Weak
ulm
e − + d + → 2n
~ +ν e
Now let us assume that in an idealized system: ulm
+ + ν
Purely chemical reactions occur at specific types of surface sites
+ ( Z , A) → ( Z , A + 1)
interaction
that range in size from <1 nanometer (nm) up to say ~100 microns n
Neutron
capture
ulm
Strong
ULM neutron-catalyzed transmutation reactions also occur on + or
Either a: stable or unstable
small length scales at a much smaller number of widely scattered HEAVIER isotope
sites on the very same surfaces; dimensions of such LENR-active
isotopes: beta and alpha (He-4)decays
In the case of unstable isotopic products:
Transmutations: isotope shifts occur;
Decays of unstable, very neutron-rich
chemical elements disappear/appear
sites can also range from <1 nm up to perhaps ~100 microns they subsequently undergo some type of
nuclear decay process; e.g., beta, alpha, etc.
Some percentage of chemical product atoms are transported by In the case of a typical beta- decay:
ordinary physico-kinetic diffusion processes to spatially separated
+ + ν
LENR-active sites where they then capture one or more LENR ULM
( Z , A) → ( Z + 1, A) + e − + ν e
neutrons; assume that newly produced heavier isotopes are stable
In the case of a typical alpha decay:
What has happened in this hypothetical example is that there has +
been an: (a) upward isotopic shift for some % of the product atoms; (b) ( Z , A) → ( Z − 2, A − 4) + 4 He
increase in isotopic fractionation (i.e., larger value for the numerator) 2
Note: extremely neutron-rich product isotopes
may also deexcite via beta-delayed decays,
Key point: transmutation processes can mimic chemical fractionation which can also emit small fluxes of neutrons,
protons, deuterons, tritons, etc.
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Assumptions about chemical systems
Consequences of local breakdown in chemistry assumptions - 2
Now please recall the methodology for calculating δ: LENR Nuclear Realm (MeVs)
R sample - R standard
W-L neutron
Occurs within micron-scale ‘patches’
production
interaction
δ
e − + p+ → n
=( ) x1000
~ +ν e
Weak
ulm
e − + d + → 2n
~ +ν e
R standard +
ulm
ν
+
In this methodology, the isotopic ratio Rsample measured in a sample is + ( Z , A) → ( Z , A + 1)
interaction
n
Neutron
capture
ulm
Strong
compared to an internationally agreed-upon reference standard; this
+ or
approach is derived directly from the notion that there exists a time-
Either a: stable or unstable
invariant “natural isotopic abundance” for every stable element found HEAVIER isotope
on a given planet, e.g., earth. For example: in the case of hydrogen
isotopes: beta and alpha (He-4)decays
In the case of unstable isotopic products:
Transmutations: isotope shifts occur;
Decays of unstable, very neutron-rich
chemical elements disappear/appear
and oxygen isotopes, the commonly used standard is Standard Mean they subsequently undergo some type of
nuclear decay process; e.g., beta, alpha, etc.
Ocean Water (SMOW), which represents an average ‘global’ value
In the case of a typical beta- decay:
for the typical isotopic composition of ocean water. Results of such
comparison-measurements are presented in what is called the delta + + ν
(δ) notation (δ representing the measured difference between the ( Z , A) → ( Z + 1, A) + e − + ν e
isotopic composition of a given sample and a specific standard). A In the case of a typical alpha decay:
calculated δ value will be positive if a sample contains more of the +
specified heavy isotope than the standard; a δ value will be negative
( Z , A) → ( Z − 2, A − 4) + 4 He
if a sample contains less of the heavy isotope than the standard. For 2
many elements, δ values for isotopic composition are reported in per Note: extremely neutron-rich product isotopes
may also deexcite via beta-delayed decays,
mille (‰), parts per thousands, rather than in percent (%) which can also emit small fluxes of neutrons,
protons, deuterons, tritons, etc.
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Assumptions about chemical systems
Consequences of local breakdown in chemistry assumptions - 3
Now please recall the previous example for Oxygen: LENR Nuclear Realm (MeVs)
W-L neutron
Occurs within micron-scale ‘patches’
production
interaction
e − + p+ → n
~ +ν e
Weak
ulm
e − + d + → 2n
~ +ν e
ulm
+ + ν
Natural abundance: 16O = 99.759%; 17O = 0.0374%; 18O = 0.2039% + ( Z , A) → ( Z , A + 1)
interaction
n
Neutron
capture
ulm
Strong
If 16O were somehow exposed to fluxes of ULM neutrons, one might + or
Either a: stable or unstable
expect that it would first be transmuted via LENRs to 17O with the HEAVIER isotope
capture of one ULM neutron. Now 17O has the highest neutron capture
isotopes: beta and alpha (He-4)decays
In the case of unstable isotopic products:
Transmutations: isotope shifts occur;
Decays of unstable, very neutron-rich
chemical elements disappear/appear
cross-section of the three stable Oxygen isotopes (17O = 0.54 they subsequently undergo some type of
nuclear decay process; e.g., beta, alpha, etc.
millibarns for neutrons at thermal energies which is 2.8x that of 16O
and 3.4x 18O), so 17O + nulm → 18O would be favored. Also, Oxygen is In the case of a typical beta- decay:
an unusual lighter element in that 17O just happens to have a + + ν
significant cross-section for alpha decay upon capturing a neutron. ( Z , A) → ( Z + 1, A) + e − + ν e
Therefore, 17O can be depleted in two ways by ULM neutron-catalyzed In the case of a typical alpha decay:
processes: (1.) neutron capture to 18O; and (2.) alpha (4He) decay to
+
Carbon-14 (14C). Those two competing processes are probably the
( Z , A) → ( Z − 2, A − 4) + 4 He
reason why 17O has a lower natural abundance than 16O and 18O 2
Note: extremely neutron-rich product isotopes
may also deexcite via beta-delayed decays,
Thus, all other things being equal, repeated or protracted exposure of which can also emit small fluxes of neutrons,
Oxygen atoms to ULM neutrons would likely tend to increase δ18Ο protons, deuterons, tritons, etc.
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Assumptions about chemical systems
Consequences of local breakdown in chemistry assumptions - 4
Hydrogen natural abundance: 1H = 99.985%; 2H (D; deuterium) = 0.015% LENR Nuclear Realm (MeVs)
W-L neutron
1H Occurs within micron-scale ‘patches’
production
has substantial capture cross-section for neutrons, 0.332 barns at thermal energies; this is
interaction
~650x capture c-s for D and >50,000x that for tritium (3H). In LENR systems, 1H+ n → 2H + γ the e − + p+ → n
~ +ν e
Weak
~2.2 MeV gamma photon produced by ULM neutron capture on 1H is directly converted to ulm
infrared (IR) photons by coupled heavy electrons; thus, no gamma emissions would be ~
e − + d + → 2n +ν e
detected; if present, this reaction could produce increases in δD; note - 1H is 1/v isotope ulm
+ + ν
Carbon natural abundance: 12C = 98.93%; 13C = 1.07%
At thermal energies, 12C has a neutron capture cross-section of only ~3.5 millibarns; at ULMN
+ ( Z , A) → ( Z , A + 1)
interaction
n
Neutron
capture
energies it is probably >3,000 barns since 12C is a 1/v isotope. Thus, in LENR systems the ulm
Strong
reaction 12C + n → 13C + γ could in theory occur at substantial rates; again, capture gammas + or
would not be detected because of their conversion to IR by mass- renormalized heavy electrons;
Either a: stable or unstable
at relatively low ULMN fluxes this reaction would most likely tend to increase δ13C HEAVIER isotope
Nitrogen natural abundance: 14N = 99.632%; 15N = 0.368%
isotopes: beta and alpha (He-4)decays
In the case of unstable isotopic products:
Transmutations: isotope shifts occur;
Decays of unstable, very neutron-rich
chemical elements disappear/appear
At thermal energies, 14N has a neutron capture cross-section of only 0.080 barns; at ULM they subsequently undergo some type of
nuclear decay process; e.g., beta, alpha, etc.
energies it may be 105-106 larger because 14N is 1/v isotope. Thus, in LENR systems the reaction
14N + n → 15N + γ can potentially occur at significant rates; again, capture gammas would not be In the case of a typical beta- decay:
detected because of conversion to IR by heavy electrons. ULMN capture on 15N would produce
16N which is unstable (half-life = 7.1 seconds) and beta decays into 16O which is stable. Thermal
+ + ν
neutron capture cross-section for 15N is 2,000x less than 15N; all other things being equal, at low ( Z , A) → ( Z + 1, A) + e − + ν e
ULM neutron fluxes 15N should ‘pile-up’ faster than it can be transmuted via neutron capture into
16N; altogether, these reactions would likely tend to produce increases in δ15N In the case of a typical alpha decay:
Sulfur natural abundance: 32S = 94.93%; 33S = 0.76%; 34S = 4.29%; 36S = 0.02% +
Beginning with 32S, Sulfur’s four stable isotopes have similar thermal neutron capture cross- ( Z , A) → ( Z − 2, A − 4) + 4 He
2
sections of 0.55, 0.46, 0.30, and 0.23 barns, respectively; they are all 1/v isotopes. All other
Note: extremely neutron-rich product isotopes
things being equal, at low ULM neutron fluxes, δ33S, δ34S, and δ36S would all tend to increase; may also deexcite via beta-delayed decays,
35S is unstable (h-l = 87 days) and beta decays to 35Cl. Higher ULMN fluxes would produce 37S
which can also emit small fluxes of neutrons,
which is unstable (h-l = 5.1 minutes) and β- decays into Chlorine 37Cl (stable but very reactive) protons, deuterons, tritons, etc.
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Assumptions about chemical systems
Consequences of local breakdown in chemistry assumptions - 5
In most chemical catalysis, reactants and products must be in intimate nanoscale contact with a surface (often a metal of
some sort) in order for a catalytic acceleration of reaction rates to occur. Interestingly, the following three reactions are all
well-known to be catalyzed by Palladium (Pd), Pt, and/or Rh and are important in truck and automobile catalytic converters:
2NOx → xO2 + N2 2CO + O2 → 2CO2 CxH2x+2 + [(3x+1)/2]O2 → xCO2 + (x+1)H2O
Hypothetically, what might occur if such reactions took place at tiny sites on a catalyst surface that also just happened to be
located ‘right on the edge’ of a 30 micron ‘patch’ in which fluxes of LENR ULM neutrons were being produced? Well,
according to the W-L theory all the atoms comprising any of the reactants (which are not necessarily 100% consumed) or
products found in such locations would have an opportunity to ‘compete’ (with many thousands of other atoms located in
and adjacent to the patch) to capture ULM neutrons. At low fluxes, typically only one ULM neutron might be captured by a
given ‘target’ atom. That would tend to deplete lower-mass isotopes and enrich higher-mass isotopes; i.e., in above
examples one could conjecture that δ15N, δ18O, δ13C and δD would all tend to increase
All other things being equal, repeated or protracted exposure of molecular H, C, N, O, or S atoms to local fluxes of ULM
neutrons would most likely tend to increase measured values for δD, δ13C, δ15N, δ17-18O, and δ34S; such LENR nuclear
effects would be manifested as statistically significant variances from reference standards. At relatively low ULMN fluxes,
LENRs might very well mimic mass-dependent chemical fractionation processes. At somewhat higher fluxes of captured
neutrons, LENRs could potentially produce significantly larger stable isotope anomalies that would most likely exhibit no
apparent relationship to mass; i.e., they would appear to be mass-independent
At high local ULM neutron fluxes, several neutrons might be captured by a particular atom, creating an unstable, neutron-
rich ‘heavy’ isotope that beta decays, producing a different chemical element which would then be available to participate in
other chemical reactions. Such newly produced stable elements, which may or not have been previously present, could
mistakenly be regarded by researchers as ‘outside contaminants’ when they are really products of local LENR processes
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Recap of W-L theory in metallic hydride systems
High electric fields surrounding “nanorice”
– Au coating on hematite core
“Theories have four stages of acceptance:
i.) this is worthless nonsense;
ii.) this is an interesting, but perverse, point of view;
iii.) this is true, but quite unimportant;
and iv.) I always said so.”
J.B.S. Haldane, 1963
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