Polyneutron

Polyneutrons are hypothetical particles composed of multiple neutrons in a bound system similar to an atomic nucleus but with no net electric charge. Polyneutrons are also known as neutron droplets, neutron clusters, or neutrium (Nt). This hypothesis is at odds with standard theories of nuclear physics.

Neutrium
Neutrium is a hypothetical state of matter composed entirely of polyneutron particles. John C. Fisher originated the theory of polyneutrons and coined the word neutrium as the aggregate state of polyneutron matter.

In Fisher’s theory, neutrium isotopes can have anywhere from four to thousands of neutrons in a single particle nucleus. Since neutrons and polyneutrons have no electrical charge, neutrium will not have electron shells and will not exhibit any conventional chemical properties or reactions. Despite the absence of any conventional chemical properties, Fisher assigns neutrium the chemical symbol Nt. Neutrium could, if it existed, interact with ordinary matter in nuclear reactions.

History

John C. Fisher proposed polyneutrons as an explanation of excess energy production from certain cold fusion (CF) experiments. Fisher’s alternate explanation does not involve a conventional fusion reaction but an exothermic isotope transmutation via interaction with polyneutrons. Fisher’s hypothesis involves a reaction between starter polyneutron and a continuous chain reaction with O18 to produce O16 and additional polyneutron isotopes. This is in sharp contrast with the proposed deuterium fusion reaction. Fisher's reaction would explain the dearth of typical fusion byproducts in cold fusion experiments because researchers did not look for a shift in the oxygen isotope ratio. However, Fisher's reaction would not explain why cold fusion reactions do not occur with light water.

Fisher’s proposed polyneutron nuclear reaction with oxygen:

(a)Nt + O18 --> O16 + (a + 2)Nt

Fisher suggests that polyneutrons might be composed of a minimum of four neutrons bound by an unspecified process. Fisher gives no limit on the number of neutrons that can exist in a metastable polyneutron system, although he suggests that isotopes of several thousand neutrons may be highly unstable. The conventional standard model of nuclear interactions suggests that a multiple neutron system, bound by the strong force is not stable. Fisher assumes that polyneutron binding could be described by an analogy to the BCS theory of superconductivity, however BCS theory is based on a long range periodic force from the crystal lattice and it is not clear what force would play that role in Fisher's theory.

Being electrically neutral particles, polyneutrons would not interact with molecular matter in chemical or electromagnetic reactions. However, polyneutrons would be affected by the strong nuclear force and may participate in reactions with atomic nuclei. In theory, such nuclear reactions could occur at low temperatures because electrically neutral particles have no coulomb barrier to overcome. This property led Fisher to propose polyneutron interaction as a possible mechanism for nuclear reactions in electrolytic cold fusion experiments.

In 1989, Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann of the University of Utah announced their discovery of anomalous energy output from heavy water (D₂O) electrolysis. They interpreted that result as sign of nuclear reactions taking place inside of deuterium saturated Pd (palladium) electrodes and dubbed the process cold fusion. By 1992, Dr. John Fisher (formerly of General Electric research labs) published his first paper on “Polyneutrons”. Dr. Fisher took issue with the concept that deuterium fusion was responsible for the phenomenon seen by Pons and Fleischmann. Fisher felt that an explanation for how the coulomb barrier could have been overcome was not available, yet he did perceive that if the calorimeter measurements made by Cold Fusion researchers to that time were correct, the only explanation for the amount of thermal energy observed would be some sort of nuclear energy source. Through a variety of heuristic means he derived his “polyneutron theory”. His first publication was published in FUSION TECHNOLOGY, published by the American Nuclear Society, in 1992. (Ref.)

University of Minnesota scientist Dr. Richard Oriani started actively running Cold Fusion experiments at that time. Within the first year of the announcement of Pons and Fleischmann, Oriani had some markedly successful results with rather straightforward D₂O electrolysis into Pd electrodes, monitoring the results with a Seebeck effect calorimeter.

In the mean time, Pons and Fleischmann’s original work was largely criticized and discredited by the physics community at large because numerous duplicate experiments failed to reliably exhibit the excess energy effect or any convincing fusion byproducts. Fisher proposed his theory to account for these results by claiming that the reaction byproducts consist of an oxygen isotope rather than helium isotopes resulting from deuterium reactions.

Fisher thought that if polyneutrons existed, one of the results could be an observable shower of alpha particles when a polyneutron aggregate was triggered to decay. Fisher suggested to Oriani that he place CR-39 (Ref.) material in the “outgas” tubes from his electrolysis cells, and to check for evidence of these particle bursts. Oriani thought that this was a productive idea that would settle many related issues and proceeded on that basis.

Experiments

By 1997, Oriani was beginning to do some evaluations of his Cold Fusion materials besides calorimetric monitoring. He discovered through some mass spectrum analysis of his cathodes anomalous results in terms of reaction products (Ref.). Fisher suggested that Oriani try looking for his polyneutrons using the CR-39 detection method. By the end of 1998, he found indications of the predicted alpha particle showers.

Despite some fairly convincing results, Oriani was not motivated to publish immediately, but rather wanted to check various avenues to find out if there was some conventional explanation for what he had observed. He did a variety of tests to control for spurious radiation by CR-39 samples in various locations in his lab and facility, allowing them to reside in the open air for long periods of time (longer than they resided in the CF cell outputs). He checked all these samples over some months and never observed any anomalous bursts as seen in the CF cell samples. (CR-39 is often used to measure “background” radiation, such as alpha emissions from Radon gas. Levels of tracks found on such monitors typically show a few dozen tracks on a cm2 sample when exposed for a month in a typical lab environment.) Oriani found no exception to the typical background profile in his lab. Oriani used pancake Geiger counter and surveyed his lab for possible contamination. None was found. Oriani also modified his CF cell so as to be able to bubble D₂ and O₂ or H₂ and O₂ through the cell from external tanks, no electrolysis applied (although Pd electrodes in place in the electrolyte). With no electrolysis being used, and only supplied gasses, no evidences of particle bursts were found. Oriani concluded that he had observed a genuine phenomenon.

In 2003 Fisher and Oriani presented a paper at the Tenth Annual Cold Fusion conference titled:. Theory of Low-Temperature Particle Showers.. Cambridge, MA: (Ref.)

Peer Review

The article on tetraneutrons contains a summary of the a=4 case of polyneutrons. They do not exist as a bound state, according to the preponderance of theoretical prediction and experimental evidence from mainstream physics.

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