This paper reports a collaborative effort of a team which formed at Los Alamos to investigate the announcement that “cold fusion” may be occurring in electrochemical cells using palladium cathodes and platinum anodes in a LiOD electrolyte. Four electrochemical cells were construced and operated for 3–5 weeks under various geometrical and electrical conditions. Nuclear diagnostic measurements included high and low resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy, integral neutron counting with well detectors and banks of3He tubes, and neutron spectroscopy withNE-213 scintillators. For one of the cells, the deuterium loading of the cathode was determined from resistance measurements to beD/Pd⩽ 0.8. No conclusive evidence was found for the production of neutrons or 2.223-MeV gammas above levels consistent with background. The results of the measurements of tritium levels in the cell electrolytes are also reported. Experiments to reproduce the observation of neutrons from high pressureTi-D2 gas experiments were also performed with negative results.

The reversed-field pinch (RFP), an axisymmetric toroidal magnetic confinement experiment, has physics rich in the area commonly called field line reconnection or merging. This paper reviews the topics where reconnection plays a vital role: (a) RFP formation and the phenomenon of self-reversal, (b) RFP sustainment in which the RFP configuration has been shown to be capable of maintaining itself for times much longer than earlier predictions from classical resistive MHD theory, (c) steady state current drive in which “dynamo action” and associated reconnection processes give rise to the possibility of sustaining the configuration indefinitely by means of low frequency ac modulation of the toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields, (d) the effects of reconnection on the formation and evolution of the magnetic surfaces which are related to the plasma containment properties. It appears that all phases of the RFP operation are intimately related to the reconnection and field regeneration processes similar to those encountered in space and astrophysics.

We have cxmducted a iwarch for neutron emiosion fmm m)d fusion systems of the electrochemical type and, to a leeser extent, the high-pressure gag cell type. Using a high-efficiency well counter and an NE 213 scintillator, the experiments were czmducted on the earth's ~urfam and in a shielded ave approximately 50 ft under-g-round, After appmmimately 6.500 h of counting time, we have obtained no evidence for cold fusion prucesse.~ leading h neutron production. However, we have observed all three types of neutron data that have been presented as evidence for cold fusion: large positive fluctu.utiona in the neutron counting rate, weak peaks near 2.6 MeV in the neutron energy spwtrum, and bumts of up to 146 neutrons in W30-IJS intel vals. The data were obtained under circumotancm that clearly show our reeulta to be dab encounter as a par-t of the ")aturally oczuning neutron background, which io due primarily to cosmic raya, ThuE, observing these types of data does not, of itself, provide evidence for the existence of cold fusion prcnxwes. &-tifac~u in the data that were due to counter misbehavior were also observed to lead ta long-term "neutron bumts" whose time d wation varied from several hours to several days We conclude that any experimertu whicl~ attempt to observe neutron emission must include strong steps to ensure that the eqw-imenta dael adequately with both cosmic-ray processes and coutir misbehavior,