Mitsuru Sakano

Elemental Analysis of Pd Complexes: Effects of D2 Gas Permeation

Elemental analysis of Pd complexes, which consist of a thin Pd layer, alternating CaO and Pd layers and bulk Pd, is described, after subjecting the Pd complexes to D2 gas permeation. The Pd complex was located in a vacuum chamber and the elemental analysis was performed using an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) apparatus mounted on the chamber. When Cs was added on the surface of a Pd complex, Pr emerged on the surface while Cs decreased after the Pd complex was subjected to D2 gas permeation at 343 K and 1 atm for about one week. In the case of adding Sr on the surface, Mo emerged on the surface while the added Sr decreased after D2 permeation for about two weeks. All the phenomena were reproduced qualitatively. The isotopic composition of the detected Mo exhibited characteristics indicating an isotopic abundance of Sr rather than the natural abundance of Mo.

LOW ENERGY NUCLEAR TRANSMUTATION IN CONDENSED MATTER INDUCED BY D2 GAS PERMEATION THROUGH Pd COMPLEXES: CORRELATION BETWEEN DEUTERIUM FLUX AND NUCLEAR PRODUCTS

Observations of low energy nuclear reactions induced by D2 gas permeation through Pd complexes (Pd/CaO/Pd) were presented at ICCF-9 and in a paper published in the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (JJAP). When Cs was added on the surface of a Pd complex, Pr emerged on the surface while Cs decreased after the Pd complex was subjected to D2 gas permeation. When Sr was added to the surface, Mo emerged while the Sr decreased after D2 gas permeation. The isotopic composition of the detected Mo was different from the natural abundance. In this paper, recent progress of our research is described. The detected Pr was confirmed by various methods such as TOFSIMS, XANES, X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry and ICP-MS. Analysis of the depth profile of Pr indicated that a very thin surface region up to 100 angstroms was the active transmutation zone. Many experimental results showed that the quantity of Pr was proportional to the deuterium flux through Pd complex. The cross section of transmutation of Cs into Pr can be roughly estimated at 1 barn if we consider the deuterium flux as an ultra low energy deuteron beam.

OBSERVATION OF SURFACE DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCTS BY X-RAY FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY DURING D2 GAS PERMEATION THROUGH Pd COMPLEXES

In-situ measurement of transmutation of Cs into Pr was performed, and the surface distribution of Pr was investigated using XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry) at SPring-8, a large synchrotron x-ray facility. The in-situ measurement indicated that Pr emerged and Cs decreased at some points after D2 gas permeation, though any Pr cannot be observed before D2 gas permeation at all the points on the Pd complex surface. Using small size X-ray beam in 100and 500-micrometer squares, we obtained 2 dimensional XRF spectra for three permeated samples, from which we detected Pr. Pr was detected again by the two small x-ray beams as expected. The amount of Pr varied greatly at different locations of the Pd surface, however, a clear correlation between surface structures and distribution of Pr has not seen up to now. Experimental results suggest that nuclear transmutations do not occur uniformly but some uncertain factors, presumably condensed matter effects in the present Pd/D/CaO system, have a large effect on the rate or the process of the reactions.

OBSERVATION OF NUCLEAR TRANSMUTATION REACTIONS INDUCED BY D2 GAS PERMEATION THROUGH Pd COMPLEXES

We have been studying low energy nuclear transmutations induced by D2 gas permeation through Pd complexes (Pd/CaO/Pd). We presented experimental results at ICCF9 and ICCF10 . In this paper, we report recent progress. Transmutations of Ba into Sm were observed in two cases: with natural Ba on Pd complex samples (a definite result), and with mass 137-enriched Ba (probable). In these experiments, the atomic mass increase was 12 and atomic number increase was 6. One of our experimental apparatuses was carried to SPring-8, which is the world’s largest synchrotron radiation facility, located at Hyogo prefecture in Japan. Pr was confirmed several times by XRF at SPring-8. Some experiments were done to explore physical structure of the CaO layer. According to a D ion beam bombardment experiment performed at Tohoku University, the deuterium density of our Pd complex is one order larger than normal Pd. When we replaced CaO with MgO, we did not obtain any positive results. These results shed light on the role of the CaO layer in the Pd complex.