https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap/2010161
Theoretical interpretation of anomalous tritium and neutron productions during Pd/D co-deposition experiments
Department of Physics, Purdue University, Physics Building, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
Corresponding author: yekim@purdue.edu
Received:
2
June
2010
Revised:
27
July
2010
Accepted:
16
August
2010
Published online:
30
November
2010
The recent experimental observations of triple tracks in solid-state nuclear track detectors, CR-39, during Pd/D co-deposition experiments indicate that the triple tracks are due to ~14 MeV neutrons, which appear to originate from “hot” fusion reaction D(t,n)4He. Nuclear theory interpretation of the origin of ~14 MeV neutrons is presented in terms of a sub-threshold resonance reaction involving (T + p) resonance state of 4He* (Jπ = 0+) at 20.21 MeV, which produces 1.01 MeV T. An upper limit of the branching ratio, R(n)/R(T), between neutron production rate and tritium production rate is calculated to be R(n)/R(T) < 10-4. Experimental tests of the proposed theoretical interpretation are proposed.
© EDP Sciences, 2010
