Show Nuclear fusion or a step beyond Second in a two-part two series f r Mark Hewitt Contributing Writer When Stanley Pons first announced his success at achieving a cold fusion reaction reaction reaction tion at the University of Utah it was hailed as the greatest scientific advance i since the discovery of fire However in the time since then some scientists have come forward saying that there are serious flaws in the results of the experiment For example exam pIe physicists point out that at according to present theories about the nature of fusion reactions a neutron must must be released for every two atoms that join and an atom atom of helium 4 must be the result In addition to this i many physicists are arc saying that the amounts of heat the experiment is releasing are arc much too great even for a fusion reaction L L. Carl Jensen professor I of physics at for 16 years says that present explanations explanations explanations ex ex- of the experiment fail to account for the heat or orthe orthe the lack of neutron Th This is isM M f fusion process is using less than 1 percent of the mass available in the mass to enerI energy energy ener ener- I gy conversion said JensenI Jensen I went through and put some numbers together and what Ive I've found and what others have found is that such a conversion is mathematically mathematically mathe mathe- impossible Many scientists initially speculated that what they were seeing was a chemical reaction not a nuclear one Chemicals arent aren't even in the I ball park for that kind of energy said Jensen Pons knows that Hes He's a chemist As a matter of fact there is only one thing known to science which can account t for such immense heat gains According to Jensen Of all the reactions in nature chemical reactions yield the lowest energies Then you come into the splitting of the atom That's what they're doing in reactors now Then we come to fusion and finally finally finally final final- ly theres there's one last step and that is a percent conversion conversion conversion conver conver- sion of the mass to energy and that's the biggest of all a matter anti reaction According to Jensen only a matter anti reaction can account for everything that is happening in the ex ex- As Jensen outlines the process The liThe deuterium atoms enter the lattice They split into their constituent atomic elements clements The neutron which is unstable when its it's by itself decomposes decomposes decomposes poses into an electron anti-electron and an proton anti-proton the fundamental fundamental fundamental fun fun- particles of anti anti- matter The resultant particles particles particles par par- annihilate one another leaving only radiant energy heat and a an elementary particle Thus percent of the existing mass is used in the reaction Historically matter anti matter has been a puzzling mystery to scientists who know very little about its na na- na- na ture matter Anti-matter is the fundamental fundamental fundamental fun fun- opposite of matter as we know it and was proposed in the early part of this century to help explain certain other unrelated phenomena Jensen mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- that not only is there very little print relating to the nature of matter anti-matter there is little in the way of present research to explore this phantasmal theory Accord According According Ac Ac- cord cording ilg to Jensen only two research facilities in the world have the materials and equipment to test his theory Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States and a Soviet research facility in Star City USSR II And maybe Lawrence Livermore Livermore Livermore Liver- Liver more in California Presently at the U of U major steps have been taken forward by Pons and his research research research re re- re- re search staff From an original heat in to heat out ratio the experimenters have jumped from one to four to one to eight Furthermore they have increased their energy creating capacity to 67 watts per cubic centimeter and have goals in the range of 1000 watts per cubic cen cen- Jensen says that these data adds credibility to his theory You have about a aone aone aone one in a billion chance of getting that kind of heat from this experiment You Youcan Youcan Youcan can make it with matter anti matter but not with fusion Helium 4 has been detected at the University though a fact which clearly indicates fusion Jensen says he isn't worried If they are arc getting helium 4 then they are getting fusion Helium 4 doesn't occur naturally nor can a chemical process create it The only thing that can explain it is fusion However However How How- ever no on has yet determined determined determined deter deter- mined just how much helium 4 is being liberated and Jensen says that both fusion and matter mat ter reactions could be taking place together It lilt mat mat- ter matter may not be responsible for the evidence of fusion but I haven't seen any numbers yet that indicate indicate indicate in in- how much is coming cOIning off so certainly there there- could be fusion but not a sizable amount Jensen says th that t the prospects for advancing his own theories look bright President Carnahan has been very helpful in exerting pressure where he can to 4 0 g. g h. h rN UM y N i- i T R 1 V 4 3 a 4 Professor L. L Carl Jensen Car Jensen proposed that the Pons reaction reaction reaction tion is not nuclear fusion but is a matter antimatter process Photograph 1989 Royal Studios J 1 make sure this theory gets a fair hearing Jensen is approaching approaching ap ap- the thc University of Utah with a paper he has written on his ideas Jensen is not the only scientist with other MIT scientist Peter Hagelstein associate professor sor of electrical engineering and computer science has submitted four papers to scientific journals outlining different theories on the nature nature nature na na- na- na ture of cold fusion as well as applying for patents Steven Jones a BYU physicist also has ideas of his own concerning cold fusion which he has been studying since 1985 Jones was recently recently recently recent recent- ly granted 19 19 million in Department on Energy research research research re re- re- re search funds to pursue his theories These scientists and others have developed ideas about other types of cold fusion but two scientists from the same university that gave birth to the experiment have taken a more explicative tack University of Utah professors John Simons and Cheves Walling have come up with the answers which they say will explain the mysteries behind behind behind be be- hind the university fusion ex ex- They have submitted submitted submitted sub sub- their ideas fo for publication tion but like other scientists are reluctant to discuss their theories because of the intense intense intense in in- tense competitive atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- phere surrounding the revolutionary scientific issue In the meantime things are looking good for the fu fu- fu- fu ture of fusion One fusion experiment experiment experiment ex ex- at the Unive University i r has been sustained for over hours University of Utah scientists under the direction of Dr Pons are beginning 19 new experiments and have begun design on a small prototype cold fusion reactor which will allow them to conduct even more experiments in the fields of power increase and reaction time Also promising are positive reports from from the many scientists who have duplicated the experiment among which are Texas AM the University of of- Washington and Moscow University An experiment at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory however ended ended- r abruptly as their apparatus exploded thereby failing to duplicate the experiment But as Carl Jensen will tell you duplication is not ex ex- Scientists continue to focus on the processes behind behind behind be be- hind the experiment hoping someday soon to come to a definitive agreement on the phenomena behind the results Regardless of what is causing the reaction there can be no doubt according f to Jensen that it is a large step forward This is certainly certain certain- ly Iy something weve we've seen I j f before but dont don't under under- stand The process of understanding understanding understanding under under- standing continues and f those who turn the wheels r r put on the line their careers i and reputation Only the fu future future fu- fu ture tune will tell whether or not the University fusion experiment experiment experiment ment is an embarrassing mistake mistake mistake mis mis- take or the answer to all our energy dreams |