Heat production and RF detection during cathodic polarization of palladium in 0.1 MLIOD

The study of the Fleischmann and Pons Effect (FPE), i.e. the production of excess power production during electrochemical loading of deuterium in palladium (in the past labeled as cold fusion) has had of noticeable multidisciplinary character, involving as solid state and nuclear physics, material science, electrochemistry and others. Correlation between the material status and the occurrence of the effect as well as some changing of the electrochemical interface status have been observed. Although during the last two decades in several calorimetric experiments the effect was observed to be well above the measurement uncertainties, the mechanism producing the excess power is not completely understood. The lack of reproducibility has been so far responsible for the absence of a clear explanation of the phenomenon based on measurement chains conceived to enhance the spectrum of information required to define the effect. Recently, In order to improve this aspect of this research, a specific work has been carried out in order to investigate if the excess power was produced concurrently with the emission of Radio Frequency from the active cathode. Suitable probes and triggering included into the RF measurement chain allowed to reveal RF signal emission during electrochemical loading of Pd samples and a correlation between the heat production, in active samples, and RF signals emission was found. The preliminary results are highlighting the importance of performing studies on the electrodynamic effects that may be involved in the phenomenon and in the design of appropriate instruments conceived to investigate unexplored regions of metal hydrogen systems. © 2016 ISCMNS.