New Energy Times - Widom-Larsen Theory Portal

By Krivit:
In 2005, Dr. Allan Widom and Lewis Larsen began publishing papers that presented a new theory to explain the experimental anomalies observed in "cold fusion" experiments. Their theory claims these anomalies are due not to a fusion reaction, which would involve the strong force, but to other low energy nuclear reactions that involve weak interactions, namely neutron formation from electrons and protons/deuterons, followed by local neutron absorption and subsequent beta-decay processes. The following published papers and news items provide more details on the Widom-Larsen Ultra-Low-Momentum Neutron Catalyzed Theory of LENRs.

(1986 Reference on Surface Plasmons)

By Widom and Larsen:
Allan Widom and Lewis Larsen propose that, in condensed matter, local breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation occurs in homogeneous, many-body, collectively oscillating patches of protons, deuterons, or tritons found on surfaces of fully loaded metallic hydrides; Born-Oppenheimer breakdown enables a degree of electromagnetic coupling of surface proton/deuteron/triton oscillations with those of nearby surface plasmon polariton (SPP) electrons. Such coupling between collective oscillations creates local nuclear-strength electric fields in the vicinity of the patches.

SPP electrons bathed in such high fields increase their effective mass, thus becoming heavy electrons. Widom and Larsen propose that heavy SPP electrons can react directly with protons, deuterons, or tritons located in surface patches through an inverse beta decay process that results in simultaneous collective production of one, two, or three neutrons, respectively, and a neutrino.
Collectively produced neutrons are created ultra-cold; that is, they have ultra-low momentum and extremely large quantum mechanical wavelengths and absorption cross-sections compared to “typical” neutrons at thermal energies.

Finally, Widom and Larsen propose that heavy SPP patch electrons are uniquely able to immediately convert almost any locally produced or incident gamma radiation directly into infrared heat energy, thus providing a form of built-in gamma shielding for LENR nuclear reactions.

By Anonymous Poster on Digg (link dead) (Feb. 1, 2010)
It is looking more and more that "cold fusion" isn't fusion at all. The best theory out there that doesn't invoke any new physics is the Widom-Larsen theory (which has been published in a reputable peer reviewed journal). In a nutshell, it states what is going on is a multistep process. The plasmon modes in hydrated metals (think of them as surface electrons that all act together) get energized (many ways to do this) and get absorbed by protons. This produces a very low energy neutron (reverse neutron decay due to the weak nuclear force). Low-energy neutrons get absorbed quite easily by anything. This starts a cascade of creating unstable isotopes which beta decay. During the beta decay, gamma ray photons are released, but when they hit that metal plasmon they get shifted into mostly IR (heat) with a soft X-ray tail.

The challenge is that this phenomena requires very high energy densities (order of 10^11 V/m). So it more often will happen in small nano-crevices in materials.

By Anonymous Poster on Google Video (Nov. 18, 2007)
Widom-Larsen theory explains how an electron and a proton (Hydrogen ion) could combine into slow neutrons plus neutrino in a fluctuating electric field. The slow neutron then recombines with other elements in the setup through a chain of nuclear reactions, ultimately resulting in Helium being produced. This breakthrough theory may explain experimental 'Cold Fusion' observations, where previous criticism has been focused on the impossibility of fusion in that setup. The theoretical framework may now be there for building reactors based on this new class of experimental nuclear reactions.

Highlights of Claims

- Not fusion or fission, but weak interactions—explains Huizenga's three miracles
- Explains most of the well-accepted experimental data in "cold fusion" field
- Miley-Larsen experimental transmutation correspondance
- Suggests an explanation for Iwamura transmutation effect
- Explains light and heavy hydrogen experiments
- Requires no "new physics"

Resolution to Huizenga's "Three Miracles of Cold Fusion"

John Huizenga wrote a scathing book denouncing cold fusion research in 1993. He was a professor of chemistry and physics at the University of Rochester, a Department of Energy-funded hot fusion research laboratory. He was also chairman of the 1989 Department of Energy cold fusion evaluation panel that decided cold fusion research was not an area of science worthy of government funding. He mocked cold fusion by alluding to its unexplained characteristics as "miracles." Huizenga's three miracles were:

Miracle #1: the mystery of how the Coulomb barrier is penetrated
Miracle #2: the lack of strong neutron emissions
Miracle #3: the lack of strong emission of gamma or x-rays

Resolution to Miracle #1: There is no Coulomb barrier with neutrons

Resolution to Miracle #2: It is not a fusion reaction, so fusion-associated neutrons are not expected.

Resolution to Miracle #3: Converted to infra-red and shielded.

Simple Explanation of Mechanics of Theory

See Full Article: "Widom-Larsen Theory Simplified"

Energy Release - Many Possible Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction Networks

See Full Article: "Where Does the Energy Come From in LENR?"

For more information on these network reaction pathways, see Larsen's Sept. 3, 2009 slides 11-12 and June 25, 2009 slides, pages 45, 46, 50 and 62-64.

Informal Articles by Theorist

August 11, 2005, Letter to the editor of Make magazine

April 24, 2007 Larsen Letter in Chem Forums (HTML) (PDF) Excerpt: Please note that there are short, "plain English" summaries of our four published papers down below. They will hopefully provide you with a high-level conceptual overview of what we are doing in each of our papers before having to delve into the details of the physics and mathematics.

Using the Widom-Larsen theory, we can now answer three important questions about anomalous LENR experimental results that previous "cold fusion" researchers have been unable to answer to the satisfaction of the mainstream physics community for the past 18 years.

Oct. 7, 2008, New Energy Times, "LENRs are Better Than Fusion"
Excerpt: "A revolutionary scientific paradigm shift has been brewing slowly over the past 19 years. The world of mainstream science is finally waking up to the possibility that previously neglected weak interactions might provide another new source of nuclear energy. In fact, given their unique characteristics, weak-interaction LENRs could prove to be a vastly cleaner, "greener," less expensive power generation technology than strong-interaction fission or fusion. In our 2006 European Physical Journal C paper, we showed an example of a LENR-based lithium reaction that generated roughly as much energy as fusion reactions, but without the release of any dangerous energetic neutrons or "hard" gamma radiation. LENRs are better than fusion. That is revolutionary. LENRs gore many long-standing sacred cows and threaten myriad vested scientific and commercial interests."

November 13, 2008, Institute of Science in Society #1
"Low Energy Nuclear Reactions for Green Energy - How weak interactions can provide sustainable nuclear energy and revolutionize the energy industry"
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/LENRGE.php

December 4, 2008, Institute of Science in Society #2
"Widom-Larsen Theory Explains Low Energy Nuclear Reactions & Why They Are Safe and Green - All down to collective effects and weak interactions"
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Widom-Larsen.php

December 10, 2008, Institute of Science in Society #3
"Portable and Distributed Power Generation from LENRs - Power output of LENR-based systems could be scaled up to address many different commercial applications"
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/PortableDistributedPowerFromLENRs.php

December 11, 2008, Institute of Science in Society #4
"LENRs for Nuclear Waste Disposal - How weak interactions can transform radioactive isotopes into more benign elements"
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/LENR_Nuclear_Waste_Disposal.php

January 26, 2009, Institute of Science in Society #5
"Safe, Less Costly Nuclear Reactor Decommissioning and More How weak interaction LENRs can take us out of the nuclear safety and economic black hole"
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/safeNuclearDecommissioning.php

January 27, 2009, Institute of Science in Society #6
"LENRs Replacing Coal for Distributed Democratized Power Low energy nuclear reactions have the potential to provide distributed power generation with zero carbon emission and cheaper than coal"
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/LENRsReplacingCoal.php

Nov. 2009, Institute of Science in Society - Third World Network
Green Energies (Preview): 100% Renewables by 2050
(Larsen Blurb)

Slides Presentations by Theorist (Larsen)

Dec. 12, 2006, Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Resource Guides
(Version 4, Sept. 27, 2011)
Index to Key Concepts and Documents - Navigating the underlying concepts and experimental evidence for the Widom--Larsen theory of LENRs
Older versions:V.3, V.1

#1 - Jan. 30, 2009 - 19 pages
Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENRs)
Not fusion, (hot, cold, warm, or otherwise) Not heavy element fission

#2 - Feb. 07, 2009 - 6 pages
BriefSemi-Technical Overview
Weak interaction LENR transmutation reactions on Earth versus nucleosynthesis in stars

#3 - Feb. 14, 2009 - 24 pages
High-Level Historical and Technical Overview
Weak interactions and collective effects explain LENRs in condensed matter systems

#4 - June 25, 2009 - 78 pages
Technical Overview
Widom-Larsen theory, weak interactions, transmutations, nanoscale evidence for nuclear effects, and the road to commercialization

#5 - Sept. 3, 2009 - 65 pages
Technical Overview
Ultra low momentum neutron (ULMN) capture on Carbon (C) seed nuclei: seed W-L theory, model LENR nucleosynthetic networks, and review of selected LENR experiments

#6 - Nov. 25, 2009 - 61 pages
Condensed matter nuclear science meets chemistry - Mizuno experiments with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons" [PAHs]

#7 June 25, 2010 - 76 pages
Low-energy nuclear reactions in automotive catlytic converters

#8- July 16, 2010 - 68 pages
Low Energy Neutron Reactions (LENRs) in Advanced Batteries and Other Condensed Matter Environments. Li-Ion Battery Fires. Early LENR transmutation experimentsin 1920s. High-current exploding wires.

#9 - Dec. 9, 2010 - 4 pages
Fissionless ULM neutron-catalyzed LENR transmutation network starting with neutron capture on thorium.

#10 - March 24, 2011 - 25 pages
Nucleosynthetic networks beginning with Nickel ‘seed’ nuclei --- why cascades of fast Beta-decays are important and why end-products of LENR networks are mostly stable isotopes

#11 - April 20, 2011 - 61 pages
Experimental examples: gas-phase Nickel-seed Hydrogen systems and their measured transmutation products; ‘hard‘ radiation is absent. What products might be found if Fe, Cr, Pd seeds were also present?

#12 - July 3, 2011 - 88 pages
Changes in Solar Neutrino Fluxes Alter Nuclear Beta-decay Rates
Evidence for dynamic behavior of nuclei responding to their immediate physical environment?

Slides Presentations by Theorist (Widom)

(Announcement Text) Coherence 2005, Rome, Italy (2005)

(Announcement only) Widom, Allan, "Weak Interactions and Cold Nuclear Reactions," Coherence 2005, Rome, Italy (2005)

Widom, Allan, "Collective Nuclear Reactions in Condensed Matter," (Prepared for but not presented,) Army Research Labs LENR Workshop (2010)

Scientific Papers

Jump to Progressive Development of Widom-Larsen Theory of LENRs

#1— Widom, A., Larsen, L., "Ultra Low Momentum Neutron Catalyzed Nuclear Reactions on Metallic Hydride Surfaces," European Physical Journal C - Particles and Fields, Vol. 46(1), p.107-110 (2006)
Synopsis
Preprint (pdf) May 2, 2005
Published paper (pdf) Eur. Phys. J. C, March 9, 2006

#2—"Absorption of Nuclear Gamma Radiation by Heavy Electrons on Metallic Hydride Surfaces," Widom, Allan and Larsen, Lewis
Synopsis
Preprint (pdf) September 10, 2005

#3—"Nuclear Abundances in Metallic Hydride Electrodes of Electrolytic Chemical Cells," Widom, Allan and Larsen, Lewis
Preprint (pdf) February 20, 2006
Synopsis (2012)
Summary (2006)
David Nagel's Summary of First Three Widom-Larsen Papers (2006)

#4—" Theoretical Standard Model Rates of Proton to Neutron Conversions Near Metallic Hydride Surfaces," Widom, Allan and Larsen, Lewis
Synopsis
Version 4.1 Preprint August 25, 2006
Version 4.2 Preprint September 25, 2007
Summary (2007)

#5—"Energetic Electrons and Nuclear Transmutations in Exploding Wires," Widom, Allan, Larsen, Lewis, and Srivastava, Yogendra. N.
Synopsis
Preprint (pdf) September 8, 2007
Related Wendt-Irion Papers (1922)
Summary (2007)

"Electron Mass Shift in Nonthermal Systems," Hagelstein, Peter, and Chaudhary, Irfan,
Preprint (pdf) January 24, 2008
Published Paper - June 6, 2008

#5b-"Errors in the Quantum Electrodynamic Mass Analysis of Hagelstein and Chaudhary"
Preprint February 5, 2008
Synopsis of Widom-Larsen Theory Paper #5b

#6— "High Energy Particles in the Solar Corona," Widom, Allan, Larsen, Lewis, and Srivastava, Yogendra. N.
Synopsis
Preprint (pdf) April 16, 2008
Related Cowley Paper (2004)
Related Fowler Paper (1965)
Related Goriely Paper (2007)

#7—"A Primer for Electro-Weak Induced Low Energy Nuclear Reactions," Widom, Allan, Larsen, Lewis, and Srivastava, Yogendra. N.
Preprint (pdf) October 1, 2008
Synopsis
ACS Publication 2009
Pramana Publication 2010

Issued Patents

US 7,893,414 - Feb. 22, 2011
Synopsis
“Apparatus and Method for Absorption of Incident Gamma Radiation and its Conversion to Outgoing Radiation at Less Penetrating, Lower Energies and Frequencies”
(Inventors: Lewis Larsen and Allan Widom)

This is a unique patent in that there is no prior art that is directly related. Only one prior patent is referenced, U.S. 5,887,042: "A cask for a radioactive material has a single gamma ray and neutron shielding layer disposed on the outside of a vessel body, and the shielding layer is formed of the compact of a mixture of lead and a metal hydride dispersed therein. This cask can exhibit an excellent shielding effect according to the balance of radiation source intensity between gamma rays and neutrons, and can be made more compact."

US 7,244,887 - July 17, 2007 (Inventor: George Miley)
"Electrical cells, components and methods"

US 6,921,469 - July 26, 2005 (Inventor: Lewis Larsen)
"Electrode constructs, and related cells and methods"

Visual Examples of Data Correspondance

Miley-Widom/Larsen Correspondance

[Ed: Solid line is Widom-Larsen theoretical prediction. Experimental data is from experiments reported by Miley in 1996 and 2000. The X-axis shows the various isotopes observed. Y-axis shows the isotope production rate, the quantity of each isotope over time.]

Shown is the experimental yield Y in parts per million Nickel electrode atoms of nuclear transmutation products during a moderately productive run. The experimental points were produced employing chemical electrolytic cells with a nickel hydride cathode. Points exactly on the A-axis are those below detectable experimental resolution. Also plotted is a smooth theoretical curve of 8×f(A) which is proportional to the neutron absorption cross section.

Source: Widom-Larsen, "Nuclear Abundances in Metallic Hydride Electrodes of Electrolytic Chemical Cells"

Reaction Product Yield vs. Mass Curve (from Ref. 3)

Lines drawn in 1996 by G. Miley in "On the Reaction Product and Heat Correlation for LENRs. in 8th International Conference on Cold Fusion," which comes from G. H. Miley, “Possible Evidence of Anomalous Energy Effects in H/D-Loaded Solids—Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENRs),” Journal of New Energy, 2, No. 3-4, pp.6-13, (1997).

See related paper: Edward Anders and Nkolas Grevesse, "Abundances of the Elements: Meteoritic and Solar," Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (ISSN 0016-7037), vol. 53, p. 197-214, Jan. 1989

Mizuno-Miley-Widom/Larsen Correspondance

Data points (in blue and red): Plotted by Mizuno
Miley data curve (in green): Drawn by Miley
Widom-Larsen theory curve (in purple): Drawn by Larsen

Third-Party References

David Nagel (Chairman of ICCF-14) - 2005: “…may prove to be a viable mechanism”
(Nagel Slides May 11, 2005) (Nagel Slides Sept. 16, 2005)

Lino Daddi (Physics professor, Italian Naval Academy): "Perhaps we have a theory that explains all the anomalous phenomena. The transmutation observed from Yasuhiro Iwamura [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries] are explained without the problematic multiple reactions of Takahashi."

Brian Josephson (1973 Nobel laureate in physics) - 2005: “highly significant, since the physics may well be sound.”

George Miley (Professor emeritus, University of Illinois) - 2006: "From a first look, this theory agrees with the distinctive multipeak reaction product data from my experiments amazingly well."

David Rees (Particle Physicist - Navy SPAWAR) -2006: “…as far as I can tell correct”

SPAWAR - 2007: "We find that Widom and Larsen have done a thorough mathematical treatment that describes one mechanism to create...low-energy neutrons."

Defense Threat Reduction Agency - 2007: "New theory by Widom[-Larsen] shows promise; collective surface effects, not fusion."

Richard Garwin (Nuclear physicist, key participant in the Manhattan Project and designer of the first hydrogen bomb) - 2007: “…I didn’t say it was wrong”

Dennis M. Bushnell (Chief Scientist, NASA Langley Research Center) - 2008: "Now, a Viable Theory" (page 37)

Johns Hopkins University - 2008, (pages 25 and 37)

Pat McDaniel (retired from Sandia N.L.): "Widom Larsen theory is considered by many [people] in the government bureaucracy to explain LENR."

J. M. Zawodny (Senior Scientist, NASA Langley Research Center) - 2009: "All theories are based on the Strong Nuclear force and are variants of Cold Fusion except for one new theory. Widom-Larsen Theory is the first theory to not require 'new physics'.”

Randy Hekman (2012 Senatorial Candidate) - 2011: "This theory explains the data in ways that are totally consistent with accepted concepts of science."

Citations in Other Published Papers or Books

Kozima, Hideo, "The Science of the Cold Fusion Phenomenon, ISBN 0-080-45110-1, Section 3.2.5.4, p. 95 (2006)

Daddi, Lino, "Virtual Neutrons In Orbital Capture And In Neutron Synthesis"

Daddi, Lino, "Hydrogen Miniatoms"

In the News Media

New Energy Times Issue #13 (Krvit) - Nov. 10, 2005: "Newcomers to Condensed Matter Nuclear Science Rock the Boat"

New Energy Times Issue #15 (Krvit) - March 10, 2006: "Widom-Larsen Low Energy Nuclear Reaction Theory, Part 3"

Chicago Tribune (Jon Van) - April 16, 2007: "Nuclear reactions may produce phones’ power”

Institute of Science in Society (Mae-Wan Ho) - Oct. 23, 2007: "How Cold Fusion Works" (Feauturing Widom/Larsen, Krit Prasad Sinha and Andrew Meulenberg, Xing Zhong Li, Talbot Chubb)

Institute of Science in Society (Mae-Wan Ho) - Oct. 24, 2007: "Transmutation, The Alchemist Dream Come True"

New Energy Times Issue #26 (Krvit) - January 11, 2008: "The Widom-Larsen Not-Fusion Theory"

Larsen Interview with Robert Piccioni on WebTalkRadio - Nov. 8, 2009

Larsen Interview with Sandy Andrews on Blogtalkradio -April 17 , 2010

“LENR is way bigger than IBM, way bigger than the United States,” Lewis Larsen, of Lattice Energy LLC, told Sandy Andrew of blogtalkradio on April 17.

Among the subjects they covered were the following: the differences among LENR, fusion and fission; an introduction to weak-interaction concepts and collective effects; possible practical implications of LENR and commercial applications; and examples of low-energy nuclear reactions going back a hundred years.

Non-Reviewed Peer Responses

Dave Rees, Particle Physicist with U.S. Navy SPAWAR, Sept. 11, 2006

Robert Deck March 14, 2007

Hideo Kozima, theorist, February 23, 2007