Absorption-desorption of deuterium at Pd95%?Rh5% alloy. II: Neutron emission

Electrolytic and gas phase loading of Pd95%?Rh5% alloy with deuterium was monitored, for neutron detection, by NE213 liquid scintillator neutron spectrometers. It was found that in every instance where a metal to ?-deuteride conversion was made, in either the electrolytic or the gas loading experiments, a statistically significant excess of neutron counts above the background was observed, whereas the phenomenon tended to quench as soon as the metal was fully loaded with deuterium. Neutrons were emitted with high energy, presumably 2.45 MeV (neutron energy of the D-D fusion reaction) and above, and the average rate of neutron 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. During prolonged electrolytic runs, further neutron emissions, correlated with thermal stimulations of the system, could be observed