Public release date: 29-Mar-2007
Contact: Charmayne Marsh
c_marsh@acs.org
312-949-3202 (March 24–29)
202-872-4400 (Washington, D.C.)
Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
312-949-3202 (March 24–29)
202-872-4400 (Washington, D.C.) American Chemical Society [www.chemistry.org]
'Cold fusion' rebirth? Symposium explores low energy nuclear reactions
CHICAGO, March 29 — In 1989, ‘cold
fusion’ was hailed as a scientific breakthrough with the potential to
solve the world’s energy problems by providing a virtually unlimited
energy source. But subsequent experiments largely failed to replicate
the initial findings and the controversial concept was dismissed by
most people in the scientific community.
“Although ‘cold
fusion’ is considered controversial, the scientific process demands of
us to keep an open mind and examine the new results once every few
years,” says Gopal Coimbatore, Ph.D., of Texas Tech University, program
chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of Environmental
Chemistry.
Now, some researchers say they have new evidence
that the phenomena — now called ‘low energy nuclear reactions’ — has
evolved and is supported by rigorous, repeatable experimental data.
Nearly a dozen scientists will present their findings during a daylong
symposium, “New Energy Technology,” on Thursday, March 29, at the 233rd
national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
All papers
in this symposium are embargoed for 8:30 a.m., March 29. The symposium
will be held at McCormick Place South, Room S106B, Level 1.
Selected highlights are shown below:
Cold
fusion overview, update by New Energy Times editor — Steven B. Krivit,
editor of New Energy Times and author of “The Rebirth of Cold Fusion,”
will present an overview of the field of low energy nuclear reactions —
aka cold fusion. He will cover news and developments in the field as
well as provide the historical and scientific context for the subject.
Krivit also will present a brief review of the reaction products and
effects that are claimed in the field, and highlight research results
for the strongest excess heat claims. (ENVR 218, Thursday, March 29, 8:30 a.m.)
Study
by Fleischmann, Miles offers new evidence of excess heat from cold
fusion —The original cold fusion experiment in 1989 by Martin
Fleischmann and Stanley Pons was dismissed by some scientists as ‘bad’
science due to alleged errors in calorimetric systems, or heat
measurement, that could have misled the scientists into thinking that
the excess heat produced was nuclear in origin. Using more precise
calorimetric techniques, a new study by Fleischmann and colleague
Melvin Miles reports evidence that the excess heat generated is nuclear
and not the result of calorimetric errors. “Our work shows that cold
fusion effects are real, but we cannot assess if this excess heat can
become useful. Much more research work is needed to answer such
questions,” says co-author Miles, a chemist at the University of
LaVerne in Calif. (ENVR 220, Thursday, March 29, 9:20 a.m.)
Illinois chemist documents nuclear reaction products in LENR experiments —
Chemist George Miley is one of a handful of researchers who
claims to have documented evidence of transmutations, or the production
of new elements, resulting from low energy nuclear reactions (LENR).
Transmutations are commonplace in high-energy physics and are
considered clear evidence that some kind of nuclear event has occurred
during the reaction. Miley, a professor at the University of Illinois,
Champaign-Urbana, will discuss his latest research as well as a new
theory that may help facilitate the success of low energy nuclear
reactions in the future. (ENVR 222, Thursday, March 29, 10:10 a.m.)
Evidence of nuclear emission particles detected in new LENR study
In the field of low energy nuclear reactions (LENR), scientists
are challenged by one key question in particular: Are the chemical
environments of LENR experiments truly resulting in nuclear reactions?
Analytical chemist Pam Mosier-Boss, Ph.D., and her colleagues at the
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego, Calif., believe
that they have evidence that such nuclear reactions are occurring. In a
series of experiments, a standard radiation detector used in nuclear
physics research was used to record evidence of high energy atomic
particles, providing physical evidence to suggest that a nuclear event
had occurred in the LENR experiments. Efforts are ongoing to verify
these results. (ENVR 232, Thursday, March 29, 1:30 p.m.)
###
The American Chemical Society — the world’s largest scientific
society — is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress
and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research
through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific
conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus,
Ohio.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/acs-fr031207.php [www.eurekalert.org]
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