Search for high-energy ions from fracture of LiD crystals

Abstract

RECENT experiments^1–5 have shown that the rate of 'solid-state' fusion of deuterons during either electrolysis or high-pressure deuteration of palladium or titanium must be at least many orders of magnitude lower than has been claimed^6–8. It has been conjectured (refs 9–11; F. J. Mayer, J. S. King and J. R. Reitz, unpublished data; and R. Ryan et al., unpublished data) that fusion, which would occur at vanishingly low rates under static conditions, might occur at detectable rates under dynamic conditions. In particular, if a metal lattice, embrittled by deuteration, were to undergo microfracturing, deuterons might be accelerated in the transient high electric fields across the cracks, reaching energies sufficient to cause fusion. Emission of low-energy ions has been observed during mechanical fracture of TiD_0.8 (H. O. Menlove et al., unpublished data), and Klyuev et al.¹² claim, during fracture of LiD single crystals, to have detected an excess of neutrons above the cosmic-ray background. These results, and earlier claims to have observed electrification^13,14 and emission of low-energy electrons^15,16 and ions¹⁶during fracture of dielectric crystals, prompted me to see whether energetic protons are emitted during fracture of LiD crystals. I used a CR-39 track-recording plastic detector to detect any such emitted particles. However, no particles were observed, casting doubt both on the claim of Klyuev et al. to have seen fusion neutrons and on the conjecture that deuterated palladium or titanium could produce a detectable number of energetic particles as a result of fusion at cracks.