Ultrasonic Cavitation and Micro-Fusion

Presented in the American Chemical Society Annual Meeting
Session on Nuclear Chemistry April 1995 Anaheim, Ca.

Russ George (and Roger Stringham)
d2fusion Technologies (formerly E-Quest Technology)
3309 Alma St. Palo Alto, CA 94306
e-mail to rgeorge@d2fusion.com

Abstract: Investigations of extraordinary phenomena in heavy water (D₂O) cavitation experiments have revealed simultaneous evidence of anomalous heating, production of ³He (T), and ⁴He. Reaction rate is 10¹² - 10¹³ Rx/sec. SIMS and bulk MS analysis have produced additional evidence for transmutation of Ti and Pd isotopes. Control experiments are performed in ordinary water (H₂O). The experimental method involves initiating transient bubble collapse on the surface of target foils under the influence of a 20 khz acoustic field and within a prescribed temperature and pressure envelope. The results suggest that nuclear fusion processes are the cause of the observed effects in spite of the absence of expected neutron and gamma radiation. 

Bubble Physics - sonoluminescence & Micro-Fusion

Environment within a cavitating bubble 

Adiabatic collapse and shock wave as bubble wall exceeds Mach 1
Bubble temperatures reach 6000 to 1 million degrees Kelvin
High temperature converts contents to a plasma
Density in bubble may exceed 12 gm/cm³ 

Sonoluminescence …………….&..……..Sono Fusion 

S > Free stable cavitating bubble …SF > Transient bubble on a target
S > 14 picosecond light flashes…….SF > Heat at nuclear energy densities 
S > Black body spectra …………….... SF > Nuclear ash ³He and ⁴He
S > and ....................................................SF > No neutrons or penetrating gamma
 

 
Transient bubble collapse with characteristic "jet". 

Hypothesis: The cavitating bubble acts as a micro-accelerator for its contents. In the case of micro-fusion experiments those contents are primarily D₂O. Energy concentration occurs in the bubble brought on by rapid collapse. Dissociation and ionization of the species within the bubble produce positively charged deuterons. These deuterons, injected by the bubble, produce locally high D/Pd ratios in the target as well as a high flux of D moving through vacancies in the lattice. Combining with other forces within the lattice the end result is micro-fusion.

Survey of Research To Date 

History of the Experiments 

1982, Photo-sonication experiments on novel chemical synthesis 
1989 April, First micro-fusion experiments
1993 Dec., Results first presented in public ICCF-4 Maui
1993 Oct., Experiments at Los Alamos and 1994, April
1995 Jan., New experiments in collaboration with SRI 
 

Mark II reactor at SRI International similar to set-up
at Los Alamos National Lab (April-May 1993)

Experimental conditions and parameters 

Vacuum tight stainless steel apparatus
Reactor of charged target 25 c^m2, 15 ml D₂O, and high purity ArgonD₂O and H₂O circulate separately in acoustically coupled vessels. Calorimetry with multiple TCs, flow, and pressure sensors based on Newton's Law of Cooling and steady state heat flow methods Gas sampled in SS vessels for analysis by Mass Spectroscopy. Target metal analysis by Mass Spectroscopy, SIMS, and SEM, Neutron, gamma, and charged particle detection on and off line 

Heat Effects in Metal Foil Targets

Gross melting of sample target occurs with
anomalous  heat as a signatures effect in
D₂O experiments   

SEM Image of ejecta event sites on
melted palladium targets

Two kinds of damage are apparent on the target metals; typical erosional cavitation damage and newly reported ejecta damage characteristic of internal heating. The volcano like ejecta sites result from multiple fusion events occurring nearly simultaneously at adjacent sites within the lattice. Calculations of energy required to eject measured volumes of metal suggests reactions with nuclear energy densities. 

Nuclear Products 

Independent reactor gas analysis has been performed at SRI, U.S. Bureau of Mines Helium Lab, and Rocketdyne. Helium has been found in concentrations of 10 -1000 times the ambient background concentration in many different series of experiments. ³He:⁴He ratios are anomalously skewed and ²²Ne is absent. Time shifted analysis of one sample infers a substantial portion of the ³He results from tritium decay which plotted with a tritium half life points to the day of the experiment.

Helium in Reactor Gas from LANL Experiments
Analysis at Rocketdyne Labs Canoga Park, Ca

Sample #	3He  (1014 atoms)	4He  (1014 atoms)	4He in sample  (1014 atoms)	4He  (ppm)
Reactor gas Blank run ~20 hrs	<0.0002 NM NM	0.2506 0.2436 0.2237	4.632 4.760 4.621	0.471 0.484 0.470
Reactor gas Short run <20 hrs	0.0042 0.0042 0.0039	0.7696 0.7521 0.7357	31.31 31.37 31.46	2.548 2.552 2.560
Reactor gas Long run ~20 hrs	<0.0002 NM NM	188.2 182.6 178.3	7483 7447 7460	553.5 550.9 551.8
Argon	NM			<0.475
Air	NM			5.22

 

Helium in Target Metals - Analysis at Rocketdyne

SIMS analysis of target materials

Studies of target metals by SIMS using equipment at LBL-NCEM reveal the presence of mass 3 and 4 in fresh samples and unexpected isotope ratios in titanium and palladium. Additional studies of isotopic ratios in target metals is planned using prompt neutron activation analysis.

Typical Excess Power Plots

Excess heat in Pd/D2O………….No excess heat in Stainless steel/ D2O 

………………..

The author wishes to thank the many scientists in the following organizations for their valued support and participation in this work: 

Los Alamos National Lab, Electric Power Research Institute, Rockwell/Rocketdyne Lab, Naval Research Lab, Portland State Dept. of Physics, US Bureau of Mines Helium Lab, Battelle Pacific National Lab, SRI International, Balez Lab, Lockheed, and Lawrence Berkeley National Center for Electron Microscopy.

E-Mail to the author rgeorge@d2fusion.com

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