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Revival Of Normal Temperature Nuclear Fusion Fever?
By Takashi Kurokawa, Science and Technology Department
Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun Online [Japan]
"Technoscience" Section
Translated by John Bukacek
Friday, October 24, 2008
Southampton University Professor Martin Fleishmann (right), who ignited interest in research in nuclear fusion at room temperature, and Cambridge University Brian Josephson, a theoretical physicist known for superconductivity research, at an international conference in Marseilles, France in 2004.
Photo: S.B. Krivit
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What would happen if a nuclear fusion reaction could be induced using water as a raw material? There would no longer be a need for petroleum or uranium, or even solar cells for electrical power generation. In fact, in March of 1989, a joint team from the University of Utah in the U.S. and Southampton University in the U.K. and researchers from Brigham Young University in the U.S. almost simultaneously announced experimental data showing that the dream of “nuclear fusion at normal temperatures” had really occurred, causing a hubbub around the world. This is because nuclear fusion was thought to occur at temperatures of 5,000,000°C or higher.
Follow-up experiments were immediately conducted in various places. However, all of the experimental data indicated one type of problem or another, so enthusiasm for this research cooled off. Around 1992, it was ridiculed as “pseudoscience,” and it almost completely ceased to be a topic of discussion.
However, some researchers steadily continued research in this field – about 100 researchers throughout the world. In August of this year, the 14th International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science was held in Washington D.C. The attendance was about 200, which included participants other than researchers. The list of registrants included representatives from the U.S. Government, such as the U.S. Navy after an absence of more than 10 years. Last year, the American Chemical Society even held a symposium on nuclear fusion at normal temperatures at its national meeting.
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Nuclear fusion at normal temperatures has once again started to be the focus of attention for both the government and academia in the United States. It appears to hold some promise as a solution to energy and environmental problems. Two years ago, Tadahiko Mizuno, assistant professor at Hokkaido University, one of the researchers who has kept up his research on nuclear fusion at normal temperatures, was visited by research representatives from the U.S. Navy [Michael Melich], and was asked, “We will provide $200,000 (about 20,000,000 yen), so will you join our team?” Assistant professor Mizuno said “I turned it down, thinking that I did not want to be involved in results produced in the United States.”
International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science held in Washington DC in August of this year (presentation by Hokkaido University)
Photo: Yu Toriyabe
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Assistant professor Mizuno announced new results at an international conference this year. He reported that heat and gamma rays were produced when palladium and an aromatic hydrocarbon were injected into hydrogen gas at 80-100 atmospheres, and the temperature was held at a temperature of 800°C, though that is higher than room temperature. He conjectures that this is a result of the fusion of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
At previous international conferences, he had reported data showing that 18 elements had been newly produced by introducing palladium into deuterium, and continuing electrolysis for about three months. He believes that not only did nuclear fusion occur, but once elements were produced, they underwent nuclear fission, producing a large number of different types of elements. These experimental data describe the occurrence of some type of nuclear reaction.
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In 1986, three years prior to nuclear fusion at normal temperatures, there was a lot of excitement around the world about “superconductivity at room temperature.” Those involved in nuclear fusion research say “normal temperatures,” and researchers in the field of superconductivity say “room temperature,” but they mean the same thing. Unfortunately, superconductivity with electrical zero resistance has not yet been achieved at room temperature. Rather than calling this “pseudo-science,” it has been called “Unidentified Superconducting Object” (abbreviated as USO) [the word “uso” in Japanese means “a lie” or “a fake”.] However, specialists believe it is real, and hold international conferences on it every year. Let’s delve into this in more detail on another occasion.
One must consider first that non-specialists are not allowed to participate in discussions among specialists in basic science. That is because non-specialists cannot judge whether what is discussed is correct or in error. If non-specialists were to participate in the discussion, they would probably have to obtain specialized knowledge. If research in basic science is crushed at the seed level, nothing will be produced. Let’s leave the research and discussion up to the specialists. Then we can all rejoice together when usable nuclear fusion at normal temperatures becomes a reality.
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