ABSORPTION DESORPTION OF DEUTERIUM AT PD95-PERCENT-RH5-PERCENT ALLOY .2. NEUTRON EMISSION

Electrolytic and gas phase loading of Pd95%-Rh5% alloy with deuterium was monitored, for neutron detection, by NE213 liquid scintillator neu tron spectrometers. It was found that in every instance where a metal to beta-deuteride conversion was made, in either the electrolytic or t he gas loading experiments, a statistically significant excess of neut ron counts above the background was observed, whereas the phenomenon t ended to quench as soon as the metal was fully loaded with deuterium. Neutrons were emitted with high energy, presumably 2.45 MeV (neutron e nergy of the D-D fusion reaction) and above, and the average rate of n eutron emission ranged from 0.2-0.7 neutron s(-1) in the electrolytic runs to 1-1.5 neutron s(-1) in the gas phase loading experiments. Duri ng prolonged electrolytic runs, further neutron emissions, correlated with thermal stimulations of the system, could be observed.