Forensic analyses of debris from the fatal explosion of an electrochemical “cold fusion” cell at SRI International were conducted at LLNL at the request of Cal-OSHA. One investigation focused on the possibility of conventional nuclear reaction mechanisms contributing to the total energy inventory of the incident. Selected metal components of the electrolysis apparatus were subjected to nondestructive γ-ray spectrometry with high-sensitivity, low-background Ge detector systems. The anticipated analytes in these studies were radioactivation products potentially induced in the explosion residue by either fast or thermal neutrons. The results of this investigation were negative within the temporal constraints of the incident and the analytical sensitivities of the instrumentation.
BT - Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry DA - 05/1995 DO - 10.1007/BF02041930 IS - 1 LA - eng N2 -Forensic analyses of debris from the fatal explosion of an electrochemical “cold fusion” cell at SRI International were conducted at LLNL at the request of Cal-OSHA. One investigation focused on the possibility of conventional nuclear reaction mechanisms contributing to the total energy inventory of the incident. Selected metal components of the electrolysis apparatus were subjected to nondestructive γ-ray spectrometry with high-sensitivity, low-background Ge detector systems. The anticipated analytes in these studies were radioactivation products potentially induced in the explosion residue by either fast or thermal neutrons. The results of this investigation were negative within the temporal constraints of the incident and the analytical sensitivities of the instrumentation.
PY - 1995 RP - Laser SP - 165 EP - 169 ST - J. Radioanal Nucl Chem. T2 - Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry TI - Search for evidence of nuclear involvement in the fatal explosion of a "cold fusion" experiment VL - 193 SN - 1588-2780 ER -