Thermal, thermoelectric, and cathode poisoning effects in cold fusion experiments

This paper reports on an unsuccessful attempt to repeat the observations by Fleischmann and Pons of cold nuclear fusion in deuterium-charged palladium; no excess heat is found, nor is any gamma or neutron activity identified. Peltier heating at the palladium/platinum junction is investigated, but no effects are seen; the possibility remains, however, that a large Peltier coefficient may arise for deuterium concentrations that render the palladium-deuterium semiconducting. Finally, the effects of poisoning the palladium with cyanide were investigated