Cold Fusion? I'll believe it when I see it (But wouldn't it be COOL?)

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Date: February 14, 2006 3:30:45 PM EST
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Cold Fusion? I'll believe it when I see it  
(But wouldn't it be COOL?)
Reply-To: dewayne () warpspeed com

[Note:  This item comes from reader Randall.  DLH]

> From: Randall <rvh40 () insightbb com>
> Date: February 14, 2006 12:15:04 PM PST
> To: JMG <johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com>, Dewayne Hendricks  
> <dewayne () warpspeed com>
> Subject: Cold Fusion?  I'll believe it when I see it (But wouldn't  
> it be COOL?)
>
> <http://htdaw.blogsource.com/post.mhtml?post_id=239228>
>
> Cold Fusion?
> Tuesday, February 14, 2006 at 3:13 PM EST
>  [I'll believe it when I see it ...]
>
> Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a
> tabletop accelerator that produces nuclear fusion at room temperature,
> providing confirmation of an earlier experiment conducted at the
> University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), while offering  
> substantial
> improvements over the original design.
>
> The device, which uses two opposing crystals to generate a powerful
> electric field, could potentially lead to a portable, battery-operated
> neutron generator for a variety of applications, from non-destructive
> testing to detecting explosives and scanning luggage at airports. The
> new results are described in the Feb. 10 issue of Physical Review
> Letters.
>
> "Our study shows that 'crystal fusion' is a mature technology with
> considerable commercial potential," says Yaron Danon, associate
> professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at
> Rensselaer. "This new device is simpler and less expensive than the
> previous version, and it has the potential to produce even more
> neutrons."
>
> The device is essentially a tabletop particle accelerator. At its  
> heart
> are two opposing "pyroelectric" crystals that create a strong electric
> field when heated or cooled. The device is filled with deuterium  
> gas --
> a more massive cousin of hydrogen with an extra neutron in its  
> nucleus.
> The electric field rips electrons from the gas, creating deuterium  
> ions
> and accelerating them into a deuterium target on one of the crystals.
> When the particles smash into the target, neutrons are emitted,  
> which is
> the telltale sign that nuclear fusion has occurred, according to  
> Danon.
>
> A research team led by Seth Putterman, professor of physics at UCLA,
> reported on a similar apparatus in 2005, but two important features
> distinguish the new device: "Our device uses two crystals instead of
> one, which doubles the acceleration potential," says Jeffrey  
> Geuther, a
> graduate student in nuclear engineering at Rensselaer and lead  
> author of
> the paper. "And our setup does not require cooling the crystals to
> cryogenic temperatures -- an important step that reduces both the
> complexity and the cost of the equipment."
>
> The new study also verified the fundamental physics behind the  
> original
> experiment. This suggests that pyroelectric crystals are in fact a
> viable means of producing nuclear fusion, and that commercial
> applications may be closer than originally thought, according to  
> Danon.
>
> "Nuclear fusion has been explored as a potential source of power,  
> but we
> are not looking at this as an energy source right now," Danon says.
> Rather, the most immediate application may come in the form of a
> battery-operated, portable neutron generator. Such a device could be
> used to detect explosives or to scan luggage at airports, and it could
> also be an important tool for a wide range of laboratory experiments.
>
> The concept could also lead to a portable x-ray generator,  
> according to
> Danon. "There is already a commercial portable pyroelectric x-ray
> product available, but it does not produce enough energy to provide  
> the
> 50,000 electron volts needed for medical imaging," he says. "Our  
> device
> is capable of producing about 200,000 electron volts, which could meet
> these requirements and could also be enough to penetrate several
> millimeters of steel."
>
> In the more distant future, Danon envisions a number of other medical
> applications of pyroelectric crystals, including a wearable device  
> that
> could provide safe, continuous cancer treatment.
>
> > From Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute http://www.rpi.edu/
>
> <http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/ 
> ny_team_confirms_ucla_tabletop_fusion_10017.html?link=ext>

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