Experimental Investigation of Cold Fusion Phenomena in Palladium

We conducted at the Paul Scherrer Institute a series of Pd-D2O electrolysis experiments to investigate the existence of the «cold fusion» phenomenon. In a D2O-test cell and a H2O-reference cell, a search for excess heat was made, using a closed-circuit calorimetry set-up, and running currents onto 1 mm and 2 mm palladium cathode wires from 120 to 545 mA/cm2. Simultaneously, with a NE213 neutron and a BGO gamma detector, we searched for the occurrence of excess neutrons or gammas that might arise from nuclear fusion processes. Our results are negative, i.e. we detected no excess heat within less than 0.1 watt (expectation of Pons and Fleischmann 1 watt) and we found no nuclear radiation in excess to the background (level of neutron sensitivity < 0.14 n/s or < 10-13 W and 5.5 MeV-γ sensitivity < 0.1 γ/s). Mass spectrometric analysis of 3He and 4He in the Pd wire showed no 3He in excess to the background expected from the decay of tritium impurities, contained in the D2O already prior to our runs. Upper limits of 4He are more than 6 orders of magnitude lower than expected for a neutron free fusion rate as reported by Fleischmann and Pons

RNA reference materials with defined viral RNA loads of SARS-CoV-2—A useful tool towards a better PCR assay harmonization

SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, requires reliable diagnostic methods to track the circulation of this virus. Following the development of RT-qPCR methods to meet this diagnostic need in January 2020, it became clear from interlaboratory studies that the reported Ct values obtained for the different laboratories showed high variability. Despite this the Ct values were explored as a quantitative cut off to aid clinical decisions based on viral load. Consequently, there was a need to introduce standards to support estimation of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in diagnostic specimens. In a collaborative study, INSTAND established two reference materials (RMs) containing heat-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 with SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads of ~107 copies/mL (RM 1) and ~106 copies/mL (RM 2), respectively. Quantification was performed by RT-qPCR using synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA standards and digital PCR. Between November 2020 and February 2021, German laboratories were invited to use the two RMs to anchor their Ct values measured in routine diagnostic specimens, with the Ct values of the two RMs. A total of 305 laboratories in Germany were supplied with RM 1 and RM 2. The laboratories were requested to report their measured Ct values together with details on the PCR method they used to INSTAND. This resultant 1,109 data sets were differentiated by test system and targeted gene region. Our findings demonstrate that an indispensable prerequisite for linking Ct values to SARS-CoV-2 viral loads is that they are treated as being unique to an individual laboratory. For this reason, clinical guidance based on viral loads should not cite Ct values. The RMs described were a suitable tool to determine the specific laboratory Ct for a given viral load. Furthermore, as Ct values can also vary between runs when using the same instrument, such RMs could be used as run controls to ensure reproducibility of the quantitative measurements.Peer Reviewe

Measurement of proton, deuteron, triton, and α particle emission after nuclear muon capture on Al, Si, and Ti with the AlCap experiment

Background: Heavy charged particles after nuclear muon capture are an important nuclear physics background to the muon-To-electron conversion experiments Mu2e and COMET, which will search for charged lepton flavor violation at an unprecedented level of sensitivity. Purpose: The AlCap experiment aimed to measure the yield and energy spectra of protons, deuterons, tritons, and α particles emitted after the nuclear capture of muons stopped in Al, Si, and Ti in the low-energy range relevant for the muon-To-electron conversion experiments. Methods: Individual charged particle types were identified in layered silicon detector packages and their initial energy distributions were unfolded from the observed energy spectra. Results: The proton yields per muon capture were determined as Yp(Al)=26.64(28stat.)(77syst.)×10-3 and Yp(Ti)=26.48(35)(80)×10-3 in the energy range 3.5-20.0 MeV, and as Yp(Si)=52.5(6)(18)×10-3 in the energy range 4.0-20.0 MeV. Detailed information on yields and energy spectra for all observed nuclei are presented in the paper. Conclusions: The yields in the candidate muon stopping targets, Al and Ti, are approximately half of that in Si, which was used in the past to estimate this background. The reduced background allows for less shielding and a better energy resolution in these experiments. It is anticipated that the comprehensive information presented in this paper will stimulate modern theoretical calculations of the rare process of muon capture with charged particle emission and inform the design of future muon-To-electron conversion experiments.</p

MuSun - Muon Capture on the Deuteron

The MuSun experiment is a precision measurement of the rate for nuclear muon capture on the deuteron, designed to resolve a long-standing disagreement between experiment and theory, and to determine an important low-energy constant relevant for a variety of weak and strong dynamics. The experiment is based on a novel active target method employing a pure deuterium cryogenic time-projection chamber. The data taking was completed in two main campaigns and the analysis is well advanced. The unique challenges and corresponding strategy of the experiment as well as the status of the analysis are presented.</jats:p