M. Fleischmann's research while affiliated with Coventry University and other places

In this paper a novel approach for deriving the current-time profile of the growth of a single hemispherical centre under a mixed kinetic-diffusion-controlled mechanism is conceived. The novelty of the approach lies, first and foremost, on the indisputable assumptions made regarding the boundary conditions imposed on the partial differential equation associated with the spherical diffusion. As a result, the variation of the surface concentration of the depositing ions with time is formulated. Based on this formulation, we have been able to properly characterize the pattern of the growth of a single centre which has been, hitherto, a longstanding problem. The precise portrayal of the results necessitated the exact solutions to be obtained numerically. Approximate closed-form solutions are derived for the rate of growth of a single centre, as well as for the flow of current to the growth centre, provided that the reactions are assumed to be in a steady-state. It is shown that none of the previous works are capable of providing correct solutions even for the steady-state approximation. Solutions based on the steady-state approximation are shown to closely follow the characteristics of the growth of a single centre provided that reaction rates are small, k < 10⁻² cm s⁻¹. In experimental works associated with higher rates of reaction, >10⁻² cm s⁻¹, it is necessary to involve the exact solutions obtained numerically. The clarification of the range of rate constants for which the growth process is controlled (a) by the rate of charge transfer across the interface, (b) by a mix of charge transfer and diffusion, and (c) by only the rate of diffusion of the depositing ions to the interface, remains one of the most valuable contribution of this article.

Living systems cannot be thermal systems, but instead are coherent systems. The dynamic origin of coherence is discussed in the case of electromagnetically coupled particles. Permanent nonvanishing electromagnetic fields are shown to be present but trapped in the coherent systems. The dynamics of enzymes is sketched as an outcome of the coherent electromagnetic structure of living matter. The emergence of bound water is analyzed. Circulation of ions is shown to be driven by the Josephson effect. Ion cyclotron resonance briefly is discussed.

We characterise the fluctuations in the observation of the first passage times for the formation of the first nucleus by the variance of the observations. It is shown that the variance is much smaller than that predicted on the basis of the presently accepted approach which has been used to explain nucleation phenomena; this effect is regarded as an indication that the thermal noise in the interfacial region is much lower than expected.

The first passage times for the formation of the first nucleus of three deposits (alpha-PbO(2), Ag and Hg) on a carbon microelectrocle disk of area = 5 x 10(-7) cm(2) are compared with the models of such processes. It is shown that the interpretation of the data requires LIS to assume that nucleation starts with the formation of incoherent clusters. The transition to spontaneous crystal growth is suggested to be the consequence of the development of coherence domains in the electrodeposit. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In this study we show a reproduction of the Zhadin experiment, which consists of the transient increase of the electrolytic current flow across an aqueous solution of L-arginine and L-glutamic acid induced by a proper low frequency alternating magnetic field superimposed to a static magnetic field of higher strength. We have identified the mechanisms that were at the origin of the so-far poor reproducibility of the above effect: the state of polarization of the electrode turned out to be a key parameter. The electrochemical investigation of the system shows that the observed phenomenon involves the transitory activation of the anode due to ion cyclotron frequency effect, followed again by anode passivation due to the adsorption of amino acid and its oxidation products. The likely occurrence of similar ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) phenomena at biological membranes, the implications on ion circulation in living matter, and the consequent biological impact of environmental magnetic fields are eventually discussed.

The aim of this paper is to show that the existence of “cold” nuclear fusion in the Palladium lattice cannot be just an insignificant curiosity of nature since it derives from the peculiar interplay of electromagnetic fields and matter fields. Its understanding then requires the conceptual frame established by Quantum Electro Dynamics (QED). The expected resistance in accepting a conceptual breakthrough in our conception of condensed matter has certainly biased the attitude of the scientific community against this phenomenon. This mistrust and the initial difficulties in the definition of the significant experimental parameters contributed to create the myth of “cold fusion” irreproducibility. Here we sketch a conceptual path starting from the knowledge of unexplained facts known from decades to the proposal of a new field of research initiated by the experiments performed by Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons from 1984 to 1989

A recent experiment on a physical, nonbiological system of ions at room temperature has proved that microscopic ion currents can be induced by applying simultaneously two parallel magnetic fields, one rather weak static field, (-->)B(0) and one much weaker alternating field, (-->) B(ac),[B(ac) approximately 10(-3) B(0)] whose frequency coincides with the cyclotron frequency v = qB(0)/2pim of the selected ion. As a result, ionic bursts lasting up to 20 s and with amplitude up to 10 nA arise. The much larger exchanges of energy induced by thermal agitation (the "kT-problem") appear to play no role whatsoever. We have analyzed this problem in the framework of coherent quantum electrodynamics, reaching the following conclusions: (a) as has been shown in previous articles, water molecules in the liquid and solute ions are involved in their ground state in coherent ordered configurations; (b) ions are able to move without collisions among themselves in the interstices between water coherence domains; (c) because of coherence, ions can follow classical orbits in the magnetic fields. A full quantitative understanding of the experiments is thus reached.

Nucleation rate constants, over a range of deposition potentials, are obtained for the electrocrystallisation of nickel onto a vitreous carbon electrode using the pre-pulse method. This method is based on the analysis of the early stages of two transients, one obtained as a result of the application of a single potential step, and the other resulting from the application of two potential steps (the first as a pre-pulse potential of large amplitude and short duration followed by another at which the nucleation rate is to be determined). A′-values thus obtained are compared with those estimated from the fit of the transients (each recorded at a single potential step at which A′ is to be determined) to the generalised equation derived for the model of growth of right-circular cones. The values obtained by the two methods are shown to differ from one another by about a factor of 20. Though it has been possible to obtain, with the application of two potential steps, transients which display, in the early stages of deposition, a rising current proportional to the square of the deposition time, it is shown to be impossible to describe adequately the behaviour of these transients in terms of instantaneous formation and subsequent growth of centres for the case of the deposition of nickel onto a vitreous carbon electrode. In the light of the above findings the suitability of the pre-pulse method as a means of estimating A′ has therefore been questioned in this example of electrocrystallisation. It has been shown that, even for electrocrystallisation processes where the pre-pulse method is a valid method of estimating A′, this method is, strictly speaking, applicable only to the deposition processes obtained at the lower range of potentials (at which A′ is 20 times less than the product of the radial growth rate and the square root of the density of nucleation sites). The inability of classical and atomistic theories of nucleation to arrive at plausible values for critical nucleation size has once again been demonstrated.

In this reply to the criticisms of Fletcher of the three papers published in this issue, we have outlined three studies by Fleischmann and co-workers, which should have been considered by Deutscher and Fletcher in the development of their own work. This neglect of the literature probably accounts for the strange and incorrect conclusions, which these authors have drawn from their investigations. The major cause of these incorrect conclusions appears to lie in the attribution of the macroscopic nucleation rate constant to the initial region of the probability distributions of the elementary stochastic systems. It is this attribution that has led in turn to the postulates of ‘nucleation rate dispersion’ and ‘nucleation persistence’, concepts, which appear to us to be physically unsound. In appendix A we have also outlined the relevant parts of two earlier studies: (a) the nucleation of β-PbO2 in microcrystalline layers of PbSO4 by Fleischmann and Thirsk (b) the double-pulse method for studying the kinetics of electrocrystallisation of α-PbO2 on Pt substrates by Fleischmann and Liler. These two investigations have been criticised previously by Deutscher and Fletcher and we ask interested readers to assess whether there could have been any validity in these criticisms. Our own conclusions were that it would not have been useful to refer to the work by Deutscher and Fletcher (nor to revise the texts published in this issue in the light of the conclusions of Deutscher and Fletcher) at the present time as any such reference would have required an extensive discussion of their work. We believed (and we still believe) that such a discussion should have been delayed until proper tests of the ergodicity of the systems had been carried out and the probability distributions of the elementary systems had been related to those of the compound systems, which, in turn determine the macroscopically measured nucleation rate constant.

We observe that in his further comments, Fletcher has not replied to any of the points i–ix which we made in our reply to his initial criticisms of the three papers submitted to this journal. We restrict attention here to a part of our comment (viii), in our previous reply namely that the inhibition of nucleation on a microelectrode substrate by the diffusion field generated by the first nucleation event is determined by the dimensions of the microelectrode and not by microelectrode separations. We also make some further comments on the Monte Carlo simulations of nucleation events which confirm statements which have been made previously. We note that the shape of the plots of the probability of nucleation versus time can deviate markedly from a simple exponential form even in the absence of the operation of any new principles.