Synopsis of Widom-Larsen Theory Paper #4

By Lewis G. Larsen, Edited by S. B. Krivit - Jan. 29, 2012 x

"Theoretical Standard Model Rates of Proton to Neutron Conversions near Metallic Hydride Surfaces," A. Widom and L. Larsen (Sep 2007) Since the 1940s, it was widely assumed in the nuclear physics community that e + p or e + d weak reactions were totally impractical as a method for producing neutrons that could be used to catalyze energy-releasing nuclear transmutation reactions. This belief was widely-held among physicists because they thought (not unreasonably) that the physical conditions which would allow such reactions to occur at substantial (versus thought-to-be minuscule) rates were probably unattainable in terrestrial real-world laboratory systems. For example, astrophysicists have long accepted the idea that such weak reactions occur at very high rates (in a process is called “neutronization”) during non-equilibrium gravitational collapse of a stellar core. However, the maelstrom of vast energies found in highly ionized plasmas located inside a huge collapsing star is a far cry from a comparatively tiny, aqueous LENR chemical cell resting placidly on a laboratory bench here on earth. Therefore, to be believable, a key question that any weak-interaction based theory of LENRs must necessarily answer is exactly why and how e + p or e + d weak reactions can potentially occur at high rates in condensed matter systems under modest conditions of temperature and pressure. Accordingly, using rigorous, very difficult and lengthy first-principles calculations for a model current-driven electrolytic cell, this paper explains physics details of exactly how and why LENR ULM neutron production can occur at surprisingly large rates in laboratory systems under such ‘mild’ physical conditions. Contrary to longstanding beliefs, this paper concludes that such ULM neutron production rates are in fact theoretically achievable in condensed matter and that our calculated results for such rates in a model electrolytic chemical cell (on the order of 10^12 to 10^14 neutrons cm^2/second) are in good agreement with the best available published experimental data.