On the observation of charged particles in cold fusion

With the aim to confirm or reject the recent claim of observation of cold d-d fusion, an experimental effort has been made to try to observe MeV protons which should be emitted as a result of d-d fusion. Pd foils, thin enough to allow all protons produced to escape the foil, were electrolytically charged with deuterium. A Si(SB) detector was placed close to the Pd foil during charging in order to detect any protons emitted. The deuterium content was measured to be the expected 0.7 D per Pd. Monte Carlo simulations were made to estimate the detection efficiency of 3.02 MeV protons produced in the Pd foil. The background in the experiment was so low that fusion rates considerably lower than those reported on by Jones et al. could be detected. A number of experiments have been performed where the charging conditions were varied. In spite of that and the good sensitivity of the experiment no evidence for cold fusion has been found. (orig.)