Observation of high multiplicity neutron emission events from deuterated Pd and Ti samples at BARC: A review

ENVR 35

Mahadeva Srinivasan, chino37@gmail.com, Physics Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai (Retired), 25/15, Rukmani Road, Kalakshetra Colony, Besant Nagar, Chennai, 600090, India
In “LENR” devices, are neutrons generated one at a time in a random fashion following Poisson statistics or in bursts of 2, 3, 5 or even 10 neutrons as in a spontaneous fission neutron source? The multiplicity distribution of neutron emission shed some light on the mechanism responsible for neutron generation - are there chain nuclear events for example? The statistical time spread that occurs during the slowing down process when a bunch of simultaneously produced fast neutrons impinges on a large hydrogenous moderator assembly, inside which a bank of thermal neutron detectors such as 3He counters are embedded, is exploited for detecting the neutrons separately in a time resolved manner. Studies carried out at BARC both with a Pd cathode electrolytic cell as well as a gas loaded TiD target indicated that about 15 % of the neutrons produced could be in bunches of over 10 neutrons.