LENR Network Reactions: One Set of Possible Pathways

The best experimental evidence and the clearest theory for low-energy nuclear reactions suggest that the physical mechanisms for LENRs are not a simple single-step process, but rather a network comprising a variety of possible reaction pathways.

On Jan. 12, 2012, we published “Where Does the Energy Come From in LENR?” which gives a general introduction to our understanding of the reaction mechanisms.

We have recently added the following table of one set of possible reaction pathways to that article. It provides a more detailed accounting of the steps and energy gains or losses in each step.

[Update, Feb. 24, 2012: This set of reaction pathways was based on the SRI International replication of the Case deuterium gas experiment. The energy cost of 0.78 MeV is for creating the heavy electron which then reacts, depending on the experiment, with either hydrogen or deuterium to make one or two neutrons and a neutrino. If it reacts with a proton, the effective cost is 0.78 MeV per neutron. If it reacts with a deuteron, you get two neutrons for the price of one; 0.39 MeV per neutron.]