[01/08] EVIDENCE CLUSTER · LOADING

Navy Pd/D co‑deposition (SPAWAR) and China Lake calorimetry

How electrochemistry loads palladium with deuterium in situ, and how calorimetry plus track detectors were paired in one cell.

Illustrative photograph: a wire cathode carrying a dendritic metal deposit, fine electrolyte bubbles rising[Illustrative image]

[ITS JOB IN THE DEVICE]

Load it, measure it. This cluster sets loading and calorimetry discipline.

Loading above D/Pd 0.9; calorimetry within 1 percent; active and control cells side by side See all 7 lessons ↓

records
18
years
1993–2017
papers cited
19
with a DOI
18

[18 OF 84 RECORDS · 1986 TO 2026]each bar opens its row

[WHAT WE CARRY INTO THE DEVICE]

What we carry
into the device.

The payoff of this record for the program: 7 design decisions, each tied to what was measured. They feed one input of the device.

[THE SIX DESIGN INPUTS]

  1. Shake it 0208
  2. Make the field 06
  3. Choose the host 04
  4. Load it, measure it 0103
  5. Multiply the rate 05
  6. Hit the target 07

Carry into device, in the full document

  1. 01

    Adopt the co-deposition principle as our in-situ loading fallback

    Reference bath 0.05 M palladium chloride plus 0.3 M lithium chloride in D2O, plated onto substrate grains or screens, to grow fresh, defect-rich PdD immediately before a run if pre-loaded powder ages.

  2. 02

    Copy the paired-control discipline

    Every deuterated configuration runs its hydrogen analog in the same fixture, the way China Lake paired D2O with H2O cells; helium-4 headspace assay with a mass spectrometer at the 1e11 atoms per second per watt yardstick.

  3. 03

    CR-39 foils in open-and-masked pairs plus spacer stacks, pressed against the suspension vessel, with a deuterium-tritium generator calibration set of the kind used in the 2010 comparison; track reading by the automated LET workflow of the 2017 method paper.

  4. 04

    Infrared imaging of the active volume plus piezo-wafer spike listening

    Our suspension already contains piezoelectric grains, so we read the same grains as event sensors, following the SPAWAR mini-explosion readout.

  5. 05

    Dewar and isoperibolic calorimeters in redundant combination, with the cell simulated numerically before construction (the ICARUS precedent of Technical Report 1862).

  6. 06

    Design for sporadic, burst-like kinetics

    Multi-day runs, burst-tolerant time-stamped data capture on all channels, and power supplies rated for the positive-feedback excursions the record describes.

  7. 07

    Expect loading near D/Pd 0.7 to 1 for electrochemical palladium and do not plan beyond it; our titanium and zirconium deuterides are there to raise deuteron density instead.

[THE RECORD]

18 records,
1993 to 2017.

[HOW THIS RECORD WAS COMPILED]

Cluster owner: Vantasner AG device program. Records compiled from the published literature, search date 2026-10-21. Every row lists a real publication with authors, venue, year, and DOI where one exists. Scope note: cavitation and ultrasound records are held in 02-ultrasound-sonofusion.md; this file covers the electrochemical co-deposition line and Navy-affiliated calorimetry. The rock-fracture piezonuclear line is held in 08-piezonuclear-fracto-fusion.md.

[RAW TABLE] [IN THE FULL DOCUMENT →] Sorted by year. #N is the row number in the repo table.
  1. 1993 #1

    M. H. Miles et al.

    China Lake naval laboratory, California

    Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 346(1-2), 99-117 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Isoperibolic electrochemical calorimetry, closed cells, gas sampling
    Reported
    Excess power in D2O cells and none in H2O cells; gas samples taken during excess-power episodes carry higher helium-4 levels; helium rate near 1e11 atoms per second per watt
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 1
    Materials
    Palladium cathodes, LiOD in D2O, LiOH in H2O
    Loading
    loading tracked per cell by cathode resistance
    Excitation
    direct-current (DC) electrolysis, high current density
    Conditions
    D2O cells run against paired H2O cells
    Who
    M. H. Miles, R. A. Hollins, B. F. Bush, J. J. Lagowski, R. M. Priest (China Lake naval laboratory, California)
    When · venue
    1993 · Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 346(1-2), 99-117; DOI 10.1016/0022-0728(93)85006-3
  2. 1994 #2

    S. Szpak et al.

    Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, SPAWAR, San Diego

    Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 379(1-2), 121-127 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Electrochemical co-deposition with in-situ uptake monitoring
    Reported
    Palladium deuteride forms as it is deposited; the film loads deuterium while it grows
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 2
    Materials
    PdCl2 plus LiCl in D2O plated onto substrate electrodes
    Loading
    deuterium uptake measured during film growth
    Excitation
    DC plating current
    Conditions
    potentiostatic control
    Who
    S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, J. J. Smith (Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, SPAWAR, San Diego)
    When · venue
    1994 · Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 379(1-2), 121-127; DOI 10.1016/0022-0728(94)87130-2
  3. 1996 #3

    S. Szpak et al.

    Physics Letters A 210(6), 382-390 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Co-deposition cell paired with radiation search on film
    Reported
    Film exposures localized at the cathode; authors propose a low-energy radiation source; tritium enrichment of the electrolyte reported in the same series
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 3
    Materials
    same plating bath; nickel-screen cathode, film in sealed envelopes
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    DC plating
    Conditions
    about 12 h runs
    Who
    S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, J. J. Smith
    When · venue
    1996 · Physics Letters A 210(6), 382-390; DOI 10.1016/0375-9601(95)00915-9
  4. 1998 #4

    S. Szpak et al.

    Fusion Technology 33(1), 38-51 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Co-deposition cells with tritium assay and mass-balance analysis
    Reported
    Tritium production reported, sporadic, at an estimated 1e3 to 1e4 atoms per second; burst-like events separated by inactive periods
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 4
    Materials
    PdCl2 plus LiCl in D2O
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    DC plating
    Conditions
    multi-run series; sporadic timing
    Who
    S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, R. D. Boss, J. J. Smith
    When · venue
    1998 · Fusion Technology 33(1), 38-51; DOI 10.13182/FST98-A14
  5. 1999 #6

    S. Szpak et al.

    Fusion Technology 36(2), 234-241 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Co-deposition calorimetry with infrared scanning of the cathode
    Reported
    Excess power with reproducibility across runs; thermal instabilities; local hot spots visible in infrared images
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 6
    Materials
    co-deposited Pd/D films
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    DC plating
    Conditions
    runs of several days
    Who
    S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, M. H. Miles
    When · venue
    1999 · Fusion Technology 36(2), 234-241; DOI 10.13182/FST99-A105
  6. 2002 #5

    S. Szpak et al.

    editors

    SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego Technical Report 1862, two volumes no DOILibrary →

    Setup
    Program review plus a numerical cell-calorimetry model
    Reported
    Consolidated heat and nuclear-product record; the ICARUS code simulates the cell thermal response
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 5
    Materials
    the full Navy Pd/D record to 2002
    Loading
    as per constituent studies
    Excitation
    as per constituent studies
    Conditions
    Navy laboratory protocols
    Who
    S. Szpak and P. A. Mosier-Boss (editors)
    When · venue
    2002 · SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego Technical Report 1862, two volumes (Thermal and Nuclear Aspects of the Pd/D2O System, Vol. 1: A Decade of Research at Navy Laboratories; Vol. 2: Simulation of the Electrochemical Cell (ICARUS) Calorimetry)
  7. 2004 #7

    M. H. Miles et al.

    Thermochimica Acta 410(1-2), 101-107 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Dewar-style calorimetry of co-deposition electrodes
    Reported
    Sustained excess power reported; thermal behavior analyzed with the Fleischmann-Pons calorimetry formalism
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 7
    Materials
    co-deposited Pd/D electrodes
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    DC electrolysis
    Conditions
    Fleischmann-Pons class Dewar protocol
    Who
    M. H. Miles, S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, M. Fleischmann
    When · venue
    2004 · Thermochimica Acta 410(1-2), 101-107; DOI 10.1016/S0040-6031(03)00401-5
  8. 2005 #8

    S. Szpak et al.

    Naturwissenschaften 92(8), 394-397 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Operating Pd/D2O cell with the cathode in an external electrostatic field
    Reported
    Discrete sites with molten-like surface features; elements including aluminum, magnesium, calcium, silicon and zinc present on those sites
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 8
    Materials
    Pd/D2O cell with lithium and chloride electrolyte, platinum auxiliary electrode
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    external electrostatic field plus electrolysis
    Conditions
    reproducible protocol described in the paper
    Who
    S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, C. Young, F. E. Gordon
    When · venue
    2005 · Naturwissenschaften 92(8), 394-397; DOI 10.1007/s00114-005-0008-7
  9. 2005 #9

    S. Szpak et al.

    Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 580(2), 284-290 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Co-deposited film morphology under an external electric field
    Reported
    External field changes the surface morphology at discrete sites
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 9
    Materials
    co-deposited Pd/D films
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    external electric field plus plating
    Conditions
    microscopy of deposited films
    Who
    S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, C. Young, F. E. Gordon
    When · venue
    2005 · Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 580(2), 284-290; DOI 10.1016/j.jelechem.2005.03.039
  10. 2007 #10

    S. Szpak et al.

    Naturwissenschaften 94(6), 511-514 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Co-deposition with CR-39 track foils at the cathode, external fields
    Reported
    Charged-particle tracks on CR-39; the authors propose an electron-capture model
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 10
    Materials
    CR-39 foils (polyallyl diglycol carbonate track detector)
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    electrostatic or magnetostatic field plus electrolysis
    Conditions
    reproducible runs; track density reported above controls
    Who
    S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, F. E. Gordon
    When · venue
    2007 · Naturwissenschaften 94(6), 511-514; DOI 10.1007/s00114-007-0221-7
  11. 2007 #11

    P. A. Mosier-Boss et al.

    The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 40(3), 293-303 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    CR-39 method paper for co-deposition cells
    Reported
    Pits matching nuclear-origin morphology; the authors report exclusion of radionuclide contamination, bubble impingement and chemical attack
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 11
    Materials
    CR-39 in contact with the cathode region
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    electrolysis
    Conditions
    control experiments and artifact tests
    Who
    P. A. Mosier-Boss, S. Szpak, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley
    When · venue
    2007 · The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 40(3), 293-303; DOI 10.1051/epjap:2007152
  12. 2009 #12

    P. A. Mosier-Boss et al.

    Naturwissenschaften 96(1), 135-142 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    CR-39 in close contact with the co-deposition cathode
    Reported
    Triple tracks diagnostic of the carbon breakup reaction 12C(n,n')3-alpha; the authors infer neutrons of 9.6 MeV or more
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 12
    Materials
    CR-39 at the cathode
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    electrolysis
    Conditions
    cathode-contact geometry
    Who
    P. A. Mosier-Boss, S. Szpak, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley
    When · venue
    2009 · Naturwissenschaften 96(1), 135-142; DOI 10.1007/s00114-008-0449-x
  13. 2009 #13

    P. A. Mosier-Boss et al.

    The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 46(3), 30901 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Spacer experiments and track modeling on CR-39
    Reported
    Track geometry and particle energetics characterized; the effect of water on the particles discussed
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 13
    Materials
    CR-39 with spacer layers
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    electrolysis
    Conditions
    energy and geometry analysis
    Who
    P. A. Mosier-Boss, S. Szpak, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley
    When · venue
    2009 · The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 46(3), 30901; DOI 10.1051/epjap/2009067
  14. 2010 #14

    P. A. Mosier-Boss et al.

    The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 51(2), 20901 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Side-by-side comparison of co-deposition CR-39 against a deuterium-tritium (DT) neutron source
    Reported
    Co-deposition triple tracks compared against DT-generated triple tracks; the authors report agreement in character
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 14
    Materials
    CR-39; DT neutron generator
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    DT-source calibration plus electrolysis
    Conditions
    matched etch and read conditions
    Who
    P. A. Mosier-Boss, J. Dea, L. Forsley, M. Morey, J. Tinsley, J. Hurley and co-workers
    When · venue
    2010 · The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 51(2), 20901; DOI 10.1051/epjap/2010087
  15. 2011 #15

    P. A. Mosier-Boss et al.

    Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (JCNS) 4 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Twenty-year review of the co-deposition program
    Reported
    Consolidated record of excess heat, tritium, charged particles and transmutation reports
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 15
    Materials
    the full co-deposition record
    Loading
    as per constituent studies
    Excitation
    as per constituent studies
    Conditions
    laboratory series 1991 to 2011
    Who
    P. A. Mosier-Boss, J. Dea, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley, M. H. Miles
    When · venue
    2011 · Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (JCNS) 4; DOI 10.70923/001c.72134
  16. 2012 #16

    P. A. Mosier-Boss

    JCNS 6 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Review of nuclear products reported in the field
    Reported
    Catalog of the reported nuclear products and their measurement methods
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 16
    Materials
    heat, helium-4, tritium, charged particles, X- and gamma rays, transmutation products
    Loading
    as per constituent studies
    Excitation
    as per constituent studies
    Conditions
    field-wide survey
    Who
    P. A. Mosier-Boss
    When · venue
    2012 · JCNS 6; DOI 10.70923/001c.72168
  17. 2017 #17

    A. Savrasov et al.

    JCNS 22 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    Independent replication of the GALILEO Project co-deposition cells
    Reported
    Two of the four runs show excess alpha-track density on CR-39 against background detectors
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 17
    Materials
    CR-39 plus co-deposition cells
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    electrolysis
    Conditions
    four experiments
    Who
    A. Savrasov, V. Prokopenko, E. Andreev
    When · venue
    2017 · JCNS 22; DOI 10.70923/001c.72415
  18. 2017 #18

    P. A. Mosier-Boss et al.

    International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 42(1), 416-428 DOI ↗Library →

    Setup
    CR-39 method paper, part 1: microscopy, automated scanning, LET analysis
    Reported
    Track-analysis workflow: linear energy transfer (LET) sorting of particle populations
    Materials, loading, excitation, conditions for record 18
    Materials
    CR-39
    Loading
    not restated here
    Excitation
    as per source runs
    Conditions
    detector characterization
    Who
    P. A. Mosier-Boss, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley, D. Zhou
    When · venue
    2017 · International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 42(1), 416-428; DOI 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.09.223
The record table exactly as written in the repo (18 rows × 10 columns; scrolls sideways)
#WhoWhenVenue / DOISetupMaterialsLoadingExcitationConditionsReported outputs
1M. H. Miles, R. A. Hollins, B. F. Bush, J. J. Lagowski, R. M. Priest (China Lake naval laboratory, California)1993Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 346(1-2), 99-117; DOI 10.1016/0022-0728(93)85006-3Isoperibolic electrochemical calorimetry, closed cells, gas samplingPalladium cathodes, LiOD in D2O, LiOH in H2Oloading tracked per cell by cathode resistancedirect-current (DC) electrolysis, high current densityD2O cells run against paired H2O cellsExcess power in D2O cells and none in H2O cells; gas samples taken during excess-power episodes carry higher helium-4 levels; helium rate near 1e11 atoms per second per watt
2S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, J. J. Smith (Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, SPAWAR, San Diego)1994Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 379(1-2), 121-127; DOI 10.1016/0022-0728(94)87130-2Electrochemical co-deposition with in-situ uptake monitoringPdCl2 plus LiCl in D2O plated onto substrate electrodesdeuterium uptake measured during film growthDC plating currentpotentiostatic controlPalladium deuteride forms as it is deposited; the film loads deuterium while it grows
3S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, J. J. Smith1996Physics Letters A 210(6), 382-390; DOI 10.1016/0375-9601(95)00915-9Co-deposition cell paired with radiation search on filmsame plating bath; nickel-screen cathode, film in sealed envelopesnot restated hereDC platingabout 12 h runsFilm exposures localized at the cathode; authors propose a low-energy radiation source; tritium enrichment of the electrolyte reported in the same series
4S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, R. D. Boss, J. J. Smith1998Fusion Technology 33(1), 38-51; DOI 10.13182/FST98-A14Co-deposition cells with tritium assay and mass-balance analysisPdCl2 plus LiCl in D2Onot restated hereDC platingmulti-run series; sporadic timingTritium production reported, sporadic, at an estimated 1e3 to 1e4 atoms per second; burst-like events separated by inactive periods
5S. Szpak and P. A. Mosier-Boss (editors)2002SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego Technical Report 1862, two volumes (Thermal and Nuclear Aspects of the Pd/D2O System, Vol. 1: A Decade of Research at Navy Laboratories; Vol. 2: Simulation of the Electrochemical Cell (ICARUS) Calorimetry)Program review plus a numerical cell-calorimetry modelthe full Navy Pd/D record to 2002as per constituent studiesas per constituent studiesNavy laboratory protocolsConsolidated heat and nuclear-product record; the ICARUS code simulates the cell thermal response
6S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, M. H. Miles1999Fusion Technology 36(2), 234-241; DOI 10.13182/FST99-A105Co-deposition calorimetry with infrared scanning of the cathodeco-deposited Pd/D filmsnot restated hereDC platingruns of several daysExcess power with reproducibility across runs; thermal instabilities; local hot spots visible in infrared images
7M. H. Miles, S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, M. Fleischmann2004Thermochimica Acta 410(1-2), 101-107; DOI 10.1016/S0040-6031(03)00401-5Dewar-style calorimetry of co-deposition electrodesco-deposited Pd/D electrodesnot restated hereDC electrolysisFleischmann-Pons class Dewar protocolSustained excess power reported; thermal behavior analyzed with the Fleischmann-Pons calorimetry formalism
8S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, C. Young, F. E. Gordon2005Naturwissenschaften 92(8), 394-397; DOI 10.1007/s00114-005-0008-7Operating Pd/D2O cell with the cathode in an external electrostatic fieldPd/D2O cell with lithium and chloride electrolyte, platinum auxiliary electrodenot restated hereexternal electrostatic field plus electrolysisreproducible protocol described in the paperDiscrete sites with molten-like surface features; elements including aluminum, magnesium, calcium, silicon and zinc present on those sites
9S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, C. Young, F. E. Gordon2005Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 580(2), 284-290; DOI 10.1016/j.jelechem.2005.03.039Co-deposited film morphology under an external electric fieldco-deposited Pd/D filmsnot restated hereexternal electric field plus platingmicroscopy of deposited filmsExternal field changes the surface morphology at discrete sites
10S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, F. E. Gordon2007Naturwissenschaften 94(6), 511-514; DOI 10.1007/s00114-007-0221-7Co-deposition with CR-39 track foils at the cathode, external fieldsCR-39 foils (polyallyl diglycol carbonate track detector)not restated hereelectrostatic or magnetostatic field plus electrolysisreproducible runs; track density reported above controlsCharged-particle tracks on CR-39; the authors propose an electron-capture model
11P. A. Mosier-Boss, S. Szpak, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley2007The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 40(3), 293-303; DOI 10.1051/epjap:2007152CR-39 method paper for co-deposition cellsCR-39 in contact with the cathode regionnot restated hereelectrolysiscontrol experiments and artifact testsPits matching nuclear-origin morphology; the authors report exclusion of radionuclide contamination, bubble impingement and chemical attack
12P. A. Mosier-Boss, S. Szpak, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley2009Naturwissenschaften 96(1), 135-142; DOI 10.1007/s00114-008-0449-xCR-39 in close contact with the co-deposition cathodeCR-39 at the cathodenot restated hereelectrolysiscathode-contact geometryTriple tracks diagnostic of the carbon breakup reaction 12C(n,n')3-alpha; the authors infer neutrons of 9.6 MeV or more
13P. A. Mosier-Boss, S. Szpak, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley2009The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 46(3), 30901; DOI 10.1051/epjap/2009067Spacer experiments and track modeling on CR-39CR-39 with spacer layersnot restated hereelectrolysisenergy and geometry analysisTrack geometry and particle energetics characterized; the effect of water on the particles discussed
14P. A. Mosier-Boss, J. Dea, L. Forsley, M. Morey, J. Tinsley, J. Hurley and co-workers2010The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 51(2), 20901; DOI 10.1051/epjap/2010087Side-by-side comparison of co-deposition CR-39 against a deuterium-tritium (DT) neutron sourceCR-39; DT neutron generatornot restated hereDT-source calibration plus electrolysismatched etch and read conditionsCo-deposition triple tracks compared against DT-generated triple tracks; the authors report agreement in character
15P. A. Mosier-Boss, J. Dea, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley, M. H. Miles2011Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (JCNS) 4; DOI 10.70923/001c.72134Twenty-year review of the co-deposition programthe full co-deposition recordas per constituent studiesas per constituent studieslaboratory series 1991 to 2011Consolidated record of excess heat, tritium, charged particles and transmutation reports
16P. A. Mosier-Boss2012JCNS 6; DOI 10.70923/001c.72168Review of nuclear products reported in the fieldheat, helium-4, tritium, charged particles, X- and gamma rays, transmutation productsas per constituent studiesas per constituent studiesfield-wide surveyCatalog of the reported nuclear products and their measurement methods
17A. Savrasov, V. Prokopenko, E. Andreev2017JCNS 22; DOI 10.70923/001c.72415Independent replication of the GALILEO Project co-deposition cellsCR-39 plus co-deposition cellsnot restated hereelectrolysisfour experimentsTwo of the four runs show excess alpha-track density on CR-39 against background detectors
18P. A. Mosier-Boss, F. E. Gordon, L. P. G. Forsley, D. Zhou2017International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 42(1), 416-428; DOI 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.09.223CR-39 method paper, part 1: microscopy, automated scanning, LET analysisCR-39not restated hereas per source runsdetector characterizationTrack-analysis workflow: linear energy transfer (LET) sorting of particle populations

[THE STORY OF THE RECORD]

How this line of work developed.

[TERMS IN THIS RECORD]

  • Deuterium
  • Deuteride
  • D/Pd
  • Piezoelectric
  • Cavitation
  • Excess heat
  • Calorimetry
  • CR-39
  • Co-deposition
Full glossary →

The Navy line begins at SPAWAR San Diego, where Stan Szpak and Pamela Mosier-Boss inverted the Fleischmann-Pons geometry: instead of loading a bulk palladium rod for days, they grow the palladium and load it with deuterium at the same time, co-depositing palladium from a bath of palladium chloride and lithium chloride in heavy water while deuterium evolves at the cathode. The electrode is always fresh, always expanding, and never needs a long charge-up. This one idea made the phenomenon addressable by any laboratory with a beaker, a power supply and discipline, and it is the direct ancestor of our own plan to run freshly loaded hydride particles inside the working fluid.

Melvin Miles at the China Lake naval laboratory carried the calorimetry side. His 1993 paper pairs every deuterium cell with a light-water cell and reports excess power only on the deuterium side, together with helium-4 in the gas headspace at the 1e11 atoms per second per watt scale. He then joined the SPAWAR group and put co-deposition electrodes into Fleischmann-Pons class Dewar calorimeters (1999, 2004). The group's summaries emphasize reproducibility of the heat signal, infrared images of hot spots on the cathode, and thermal instabilities that the authors call mini-explosions. In one paper the birth and death of hot spots is tracked by infrared imaging while a piezoelectric substrate glued to the electrode registers voltage spikes at the same moments, which is, for our purposes, a lovely precedent: a piezo element doubling as an event sensor.

The nuclear-product record grew in stages: tritium (1998, sporadic, 1e3 to 1e4 atoms per second), then CR-39 track foils pressed against the cathode under external electric and magnetic fields (2005 to 2010), with the triple-track carbon-breakup signature offered as a neutron fingerprint and calibrated against a deuterium-tritium generator. Independent work exists: the 2017 JCNS replication reports excess alpha-track density in two of four runs. The field also produced a published exchange on track interpretation (Kowalski 2008 and the authors' response), which is precisely why our device carries time-of-flight neutron counters alongside CR-39: two independent detector classes that must agree before we call anything.

The operational signature across fifteen years of records is sporadicity. Heat, tritium and tracks arrive in bursts separated by quiet periods, and the reported loadings sit near the electrochemical limit of about D/Pd 0.7 to 1 (field-wide figure). A device that expects bursts needs long runs, time-stamped logging on every channel, and thermal headroom for positive-feedback excursions.

[THE PAPERS]

19 papers
behind it.

Every reference this cluster cites, and where to read it. DOI links go to the publisher; local PDFs appear here as the repository adds them.

  • 18 with a DOI
  • 0 on arXiv
  • 0 with a local PDF
  • 1 citation only
  1. 1993

    Miles, M.H., Hollins, R.A., Bush, B.F., Lagowski, J.J., Priest, R.M.

    [DESCRIBED] Calorimetry of D2O against paired H2O cells with helium-4 headspace assay, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 346, 99-117. DOI 10.1016/0022-0728(93)85006-3.

    DOI ↗arXivPDF Library card →

  2. 1994

    Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., Smith, J.J.

    [DESCRIBED] Electrochemical co-deposition with in-situ deuterium uptake monitoring, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 379, 121-127. DOI 10.1016/0022-0728(94)87130-2.

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  3. 1996

    Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., Smith, J.J.

    [DESCRIBED] Co-deposition cell paired with a radiation search on the growing film, Physics Letters A 210, 382-390. DOI 10.1016/0375-9601(95)00915-9.

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  4. 1998

    Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., Boss, R.D., Smith, J.J.

    [DESCRIBED] Co-deposition tritium assay with mass-balance analysis, Fusion Technology 33, 38-51. DOI 10.13182/FST98-A14.

    DOI ↗arXivPDF Library card →

  5. 1999

    Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., Miles, M.H.

    [DESCRIBED] Co-deposition calorimetry with infrared scanning of the cathode, Fusion Technology 36, 234-241. DOI 10.13182/FST99-A105.

    DOI ↗arXivPDF Library card →

  6. 2002

    Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., editors

    [DESCRIBED] Thermal and Nuclear Aspects of the Pd/D2O System, Volumes 1 and 2, SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego Technical Report 1862 (program review plus the ICARUS cell-calorimetry model).

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  7. 2004

    Miles, M.H., Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., Fleischmann, M.

    [DESCRIBED] Dewar-style calorimetry of co-deposition electrodes, Thermochimica Acta 410, 101-107. DOI 10.1016/S0040-6031(03)00401-5.

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  8. 2005

    Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., Young, C., Gordon, F.E.

    [DESCRIBED] Operating Pd/D2O cell with the cathode in an external electrostatic field: discrete sites, molten-like features and elemental analysis, Naturwissenschaften 92, 394-397. DOI 10.1007/s00114-005-0008-7.

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  9. 2005

    Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., Young, C., Gordon, F.E.

    [DESCRIBED] External field influence on co-deposited film morphology, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry 580, 284-290. DOI 10.1016/j.jelechem.2005.03.039.

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  10. 2007

    Mosier-Boss, P.A., Szpak, S., Gordon, F.E., Forsley, L.P.G.

    [DESCRIBED] CR-39 method paper for co-deposition cells with control experiments and artifact tests, The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 40, 293-303. DOI 10.1051/epjap:2007152.

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  11. 2007

    Szpak, S., Mosier-Boss, P.A., Gordon, F.E.

    [DESCRIBED] Co-deposition with CR-39 track foils at the cathode under electrostatic or magnetostatic fields, Naturwissenschaften 94, 511-514. DOI 10.1007/s00114-007-0221-7.

    DOI ↗arXivPDF Library card →

  12. 2008

    Kowalski, L.

    [DESCRIBED] Comment on the CR-39 track interpretation, The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 44, 287-290, DOI 10.1051/epjap:2008161; with the authors' response, same journal 44, 291-295, DOI 10.1051/epjap:2008182, which adds spacer data.

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  13. 2009

    Mosier-Boss, P.A., Szpak, S., Gordon, F.E., Forsley, L.P.G.

    [DESCRIBED] CR-39 in close contact with the co-deposition cathode with the triple-track carbon-breakup signature, Naturwissenschaften 96, 135-142. DOI 10.1007/s00114-008-0449-x.

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  14. 2009

    Mosier-Boss, P.A., Szpak, S., Gordon, F.E., Forsley, L.P.G.

    [DESCRIBED] Spacer experiments and track modeling on CR-39, The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 46, 30901. DOI 10.1051/epjap/2009067.

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  15. 2010

    Mosier-Boss, P.A., Dea, J., Forsley, L., Morey, M., Tinsley, J., Hurley, J., and co-workers

    [DESCRIBED] Side-by-side comparison of co-deposition CR-39 triple tracks against a deuterium-tritium neutron source, The European Physical Journal Applied Physics 51, 20901. DOI 10.1051/epjap/2010087.

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  16. 2011

    Mosier-Boss, P.A., Dea, J., Gordon, F.E., Forsley, L.P.G., Miles, M.H.

    [DESCRIBED] Twenty-year review of the co-deposition program, Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science 4. DOI 10.70923/001c.72134.

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  17. 2012

    Mosier-Boss, P.A.

    [DESCRIBED] Review of nuclear products reported across the field, Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science 6. DOI 10.70923/001c.72168.

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  18. 2017

    Mosier-Boss, P.A., Gordon, F.E., Forsley, L.P.G., Zhou, D.

    [DESCRIBED] CR-39 method paper, part 1: microscopy, automated scanning and linear energy transfer analysis, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 42, 416-428. DOI 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.09.223.

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  19. 2017

    Savrasov, A., Prokopenko, V., Andreev, E.

    [DESCRIBED] Independent replication of the GALILEO Project co-deposition cells, Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science 22. DOI 10.70923/001c.72415.

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