Indian scientist claims holy grail of physics

THE TIMES OF INDIA ^ | TUESDAY, MARCH 05, 2002 9:04:47 PM | CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA

[Madiuq]

WASHINGTON: An Indian-American scientist with the IIT imprimatur has, along with several American colleagues, caused a stir in the world scientific community by claiming to have achieved nuclear fusion in a small table top experiment.

If it is proved right and authenticated by peers, such a fusion – the same principle that fuels the sun – could be the source of cheap, clean and limitless energy, and could change the world.

Scientists have worked for decades in this direction and the possibility that a team might have cracked the problem is considered so remote that the announcement, to be reported in the journal Science later this week, has been greeted with scepticism in the academic community.

Leading the research team making a stab at what is considered the holy grail in the world of physics is Rusi Taleyarkhan, a senior scientist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and Richard Lahey, a professor of engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.

Taleyarkhan earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, and came to the United States in 1977, earning a master's degrees in nuclear engineering and business administration and later a doctorate in nuclear engineering, also from Rensselaer. He considers Dr Lahey, who is also close to India and has consulted with the Indian nuclear establishment, his mentor.

Achieving sustainable nuclear fusion would be a scientific milestone, if not manna. Unlike nuclear fission, splits heavy atoms like uranium and releases some of the excess energy stored as mass in the uranium atoms, fusion joins together light atoms, such as hydrogen, in a reaction that creates a third heavier atom and converts some of the original atoms’ mass into energy.

Because fissionable elements are rare, complex and dangerous, often producing radioactive wastes, scientists have long sought to exploit more readily available elements like hydrogen.

In their article, Taleyarkhan and Lahey report that by blasting liquid acetone (which has deuterium, a heavy hydrogen isotope) with ultrasound, they cause bubbles in the acetone to collapse with such ferocity that they briefly reach temperatures of several million degrees like in the sun. This enabled hydrogen atoms to fuse together and release bursts of energy.

The experiment produced only minuscule amounts of energy, but the scientists feel it might be possible to enlarge the process to a commercially-viable scale. The experiment’s entire apparatus is well within the bounds of “table-top physics,” about “the size of three coffee cups stacked one on top of the other,” says Dr Taleyarkhan.

But many experts scoffed at the claim, although it came with some caveats and a cautionary note from Science magazine editors. Some of them questioned the sustainability of the experiment on a larger scale while others said the work could be contaminated or the researchers may have been fooled by false evidence.

Science writers recalled a similar 1989 hoopla over “cold fusion” that roiled the world of physics before being dismissed as dud. But Taleyarekhan and Lahey say the contretemps was very much on their mind and the experiment had been reviewed extensively before reporting it in Science.

“Of course Mother Nature does throw googlies at us, but we believe it can be scaled and are optimistically cautious,” Dr Taleyarkhan told this correspondent in an interview Tuesday from his lab in Oakridge. “Such a process also has applications other than mass energy production, such as food radiation and chemical synthesis.”

The journal Science itself was non-committal. "In this instance, we see no good reason for suppressing the paper, and even less for attempts to discredit in advance. The premature critics of the result, and those who believe in it, would both do well to cool it, and wait for the scientific process to do its work," it said in an editorial comment.

Dr Taleyarkhan’s has impressive scientific pedigree and credentials. He has been the group leader and program manager in the Engineering and Technology Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

One of his more remarkable inventions is a rifle that can be adjusted so its user fires bullets at varying speeds. The US government has shown great interest in the project because such a non-lethal weapon can be used effectively for peace-keeping, riot-control, and school security.

Son of a prominent Parsi clan of Mumbai, Dr Taleyarkhan’s larger family includes luminaries such as the late Bobby Talyarekhan, the famous radio broadcaster, and Homi Taleyarkhan, a former diplomat. He is married to Navaz Rusi and they have three children, Pervin, Manaz and Meher.

[Bogey78O]

I thought the holy grail of physics was the equation that linked all forces together. What was it called?

[Husker24]

Unified Theory?

[Lov_USA]

Unified Field Theory.

[Future Snake Eater]

The Unified Field Theorem.

[DoughtyOne]

Nice. Thanks for the post.

[DoughtyOne]

Good point. That's what I thought I was going to run into in the article.

[satchmodog9]

Maybe Ark of the Covenant.

[Tokhtamish]

Would it not be a scream if India at one stroke impoverished the Muslim world forever.

[Fifth Business]

Try it with a little nutmeg sprinkled on top. It doesn't really add much to the flavor, but it looks pretty.

[Righty1]

I thought that the "holy grail" was unified field theory. I regard simple fusion as the "philosophers' stone".

[Bogey78O]

Yea, that's it. Thanks. I remembered it after I posted. Not that fusion isn't nice but once they knock down that UFT they'll be able to do some great things.

[MaxwellWolf]

Let us put this in "hope it is true category."

[Bogey78O]

'One of his more remarkable inventions is a rifle that can be adjusted so its user fires bullets at varying speeds. The US government has shown great interest in the project because such a non-lethal weapon can be used effectively for peace-keeping, riot-control, and school security.'

Wouldn't that be cool?

[Hoplite]

Holy Grail of Physics?

We've already got one.

[Jen]

FReepathon Continues!

GREAT FREEPER QUOTE FROM THE FREEPATHON THREAD:

2366 posted on 3/3/02 6:57 PM Pacific by McGavin999

"A lot of people come to FreeRepublic on a daily basis for their news. Strangely, many of them never stop to think about how this site is paid for. Many have no idea that FreeRepublic is fully funded by the people who use the site.

If everyone who was registered donated $1 a month, we'd never have to have a fund raiser. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. Some people think their $5 or $10 wouldn't make a difference, but it would."

Have a Heart!
Do Your Part!

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

I think you mean the force. it is between all things. mmmmmmmmm a jedi will you be.

[Prodigal Son]

I thought the holy grail of physics was the equation that linked all forces together. What was it called?

Grand Unified Theory (GUTs)? I guess, properly, cold fusion is the holy grail of applied physics- if they achieve it it will have a much bigger immediate effect on mankind than the unified theory- sort of like the Scientist in the role of Prometheus handing fire down to every African bushman, Eskimo and city dweller on Earth in one fell swoop. So many problems would be solved (Radical Islamic Nations losing oil revenues, pollution, probably even poverty) that for me it is the Holy Grail- Man unleashed.

[Free the USA]

Check the Bump List folders for articles related to the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.

[RippleFire]

Kinda like:

Set phasers on stun!