Wikipedia talk:Requests for mediation/Cold fusion/draft
Cold fusion is a name given to a controversial field of research which investigates the possibility of nuclear reactions at conditions near room temperature and atmospheric pressure.
The first report of such an experiment was published by M. Fleischmann and S. Pons from the University of Utah in 1989 "Electrochemically induced nuclear fusion of deuterium," M. Fleischmann and S. Pons, Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry vol. 261, p. 301 (1989).. In their publication, Fleischmann and Pons reported the observation of anomalous heating ("excess heat") of an electrolytic cell during electrolysis of heavy water (D2O). Lacking a simple explanation for the source of such anomalous heat, they proposed the hypothesis, without supporting evidence, that the source of the heat is nuclear fusion of deuterium.
Cold fusion gained a reputation as a pathological science after other scientists failed to replicate the results. {{cite news|last=Browne|first=M.|title="Physicists Debunk Claim Of a New Kind of Fusion"|publisher=New York Times|date=May 3, 1989|url=http://partners.nytimes.com/library/national/science/050399sci-cold-fusion.html}} A review panel organized by the US Department of Energy (DOE) in 1989 did not find the evidence persuasive, and said that such nuclear fusion at room temperature would be contrary to all understanding gained of nuclear reactions in the last half century; it would require the invention of an entirely new nuclear process.[http://www.ncas.org/erab/contents.htm 1989 DoE report]
Since then, other reports of anomalous heat and tritium production Nearly 200 reports of anomalous heat production and over 60 of anomaous tritium production are listed in several publications, including {{cite book |last= Storms |first= Edmund |title= The Science of Low Energy Nuclear Reaction |year= 2007 |publisher= World Scientific Publishing |location= Singapore|isbn= 9789812706201 |pages=pp 52-61 and pp 79-81}} have been published in peer-reviewed journals,For example those cited in the 2004 DoE review:
Y. Arata and Y-C Zhang, "Anomalous difference between reaction energies generated within D20-cell and H20 Cell", Jpn. J. Appl. Phys 37, L1274 (1998)
Iwamura, Y., M. Sakano, and T. Itoh, "Elemental Analysis of Pd Complexes: Effects of D2 Gas Permeation". Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. A, 2002. 41: p. 4642.
Other:
Mizuno, T., et al., "Production of Heat During Plasma Electrolysis in Liquid," Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 39 p. 6055, (2000)
M.H. Miles et al., "Correlation of excess power and helium production during D2O and H20 electrolysis using Palladium cathodes]", J. Electroanal. Chem. 346 (1993) 99
B.F. Bush et al, "Helium production during the electrolysis of D20 in cold fusion", J. Electroanal. Chem. 346 (1993) 99
Electrochemist [http://www.chem.au.dk/~db/ Dr. Dieter Britz], who has remained neutral on the question of whether cold fusion exists, has compiled [http://www.chem.au.dk/~db/fusion/ a cold fusion bibliography] which includes [http://www.chem.au.dk/~db/fusion/Papers 479 published scientific journal articles marked "res+"] indicating positive research results.
and discussed at scientific conferences.
{{cite journal|last=Van Noorden|first= R.|title= Cold fusion back on the menu|journal=Chemistry World|date=2007|url=http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/March/22030701.asp}}{{cite web| title=2006 APS March Meeting Monday–Friday, March 13–17, 2006; Baltimore, MD Session W41: Cold Fusion |url=http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR06/SessionIndex2/?SessionEventID=45597}} The scientific community, however, has met these reports with skepticism. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/08/cold_fusion In 2004 the US DOE organized another review panel. [http://www.science.doe.gov/Sub/Newsroom/News_Releases/DOE-SC/2004/low_energy/CF_Final_120104.pdf 2004 DOE report] This panel, like the one in 1989, did not recommended a focused federally-funded program. The 2004 panel identified basic research areas that could be helpful in resolving some of the controversies in the field. They stated that the field would benefit from the peer-review processes associated with proposal submission to agencies and paper submission to archival journals.
Introduction
Excess-heat-by-electrolysis experiments
(Brief overview of general experimental setup, cell types, open cells, closed cells, and calorimetry)
=The Fleischmann and Pons open-cell experiment=
(showing excess heat)
=The ??? closed-cell experiment=
(showing no excess heat)
=The Faraday-efficiency effect=
(showing how excess heat has a simple chemical explanation)