Wednesday, April 4, 2007

3:00 P.M.-4:00 P.M.

Phillips Hall 640

LOW ENERGY NUCLEAR REACTIONS (AKA COLD FUSION): PROBLEMS, PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS

David J. Nagel

Research Professor

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

George Washington University

Washington, DC

ABSTRACT

The problems surrounding cold fusion were diverse, many technical and some social. Now, the challenges to low energy nuclear reactions (LENR) include (a) the residual perception that the field is dead, (b) the difficulty in getting funding for the research and(c) the inability to acquire US patents.   Despite these problems, there has been major experimental progress in the years since 1989. Dozens of "positive" experiments have been conducted by competent and credentialed investigators, who used adequate instrumentation, which was properly calibrated before, during and after the experiments. Reproducibility has improved significantly, but is still flawed. There are ten different types of experimental data for LENR. One of these is strong evidence for the transmutation of one heavy element into another. A complex new theory has been developed and needs more testing. Several prospects for LENR are playing out now. The structure of a LENR research program has been developed and published. The bottom line: despite many problems, nuclear reactions can occur at unexpectedly low temperatures, so LENR appears to be real, and what to do about it seems clear.

BIOGRAPHY

David J. Nagel is Research Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of The George Washington University. He received his graduate degrees ( M.S. in Physics and Ph.D. in Engineering Materials) from the University of Maryland. He worked as a physicist and manager at the Naval Research Laboratory for 36 years. For one-third of that time, Dr. Nagel was a member of the Senior Executive Service, and led the experimental and theoretical research and development efforts of about 150 government and contractor personnel. Dr. Nagel ranked first in his Naval ROTC class, and then spent 30 years in uniform. He commanded three reserve units, and retired from the Naval Reserve in 1990 with the rank of Captain. He has written or co-authored over 150 technical articles, reports, book chapters and encyclopedia articles. Dr. Nagel's current research and teaching at The George Washington University center on applications of MEMS and nanotechnology, especially wireless sensor networks, and on low energy nuclear reactions.

If there are any questions, please contact Dr. Harrington at rharring@gwu.edu