[extropy-chat] sonofusion tested on BBC tonight

[Dirk Bruere]

Dan Clemmensen wrote:

> Dirk Bruere wrote:
>
>> Damien Broderick wrote:
>>
>>> The BBC is showing a program tonight on cold fusion claims (of a 
>>> sort). If anyone here watches it, maybe they could report back?
>>>
>> No replication, and Taleyarkhan refused to work with one of the 
>> people involved.
>> However, I'd say that it may well be that all collapsing bubbles are 
>> not equal and that symmetry is crucial.
>>
> I'm fairly skeptical of the Oak ridge sonofusion experiments, but I'm 
> really distressed when they are linked to "cold fusion." There was 
> never a viable theory for palladium-catalyzed "cold fusion." and the 
> experimental setup was quite complex. Experiment showed an ambiguous 
> excess energy production, difficult to reproduce, and fusion was then 
> suggested as a possible reason. This is really bad science.
>
> By contrast, sonofusion has a very clear theoretical underpinning. 
> Single-bubble sonoluminescence (SBSL) is easy to reproduce, and the 
> glow of the bubble is most parsimoniously explained as thermal (or 
> blackbody) radiation. From this hypothesis, we can make a simple 
> calculation to show that IF the bubble gets hotter THEN fusion will 
> occur. Great theoretical science, no voodoo required.
>
> The problem with the Oak Ridge experiment is that they chose to use a 
> neutron source to nucleate the bubble. They also use neutron 
> production as the indicator that fusion has occurred. Yes, the 
> respective neutrons differ in energy and time, but extrordinary claims 
> require extrordinary proofs, so I would really, really prefer to see 
> an experiment with no neutron source anywhere near the experiment.
>
Maybe it could be done with a high intensity muon source.
However, the Horizon expt was looking for neutron emission coincident 
with light with a resolution of around a nanosecond. They found none.
I expect that if  Taleyarkhan is really getting fusion then his 
apparatus is creating bubbles with much higher temps and pressures than 
other groups. This may very well be the case IMO.

-- 
Dirk

The Consensus:-
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