A Search for Nuclear Reactions in Deuterated Fresh Iodide-Titanium Films

The possible occurrence of nuclear reactions in solids (NRS) is tested in a well-characterized iodide-titanium film after a high deuterium loading. This film proves to have a higher purity than common titanium samples used in NRS experiments. The titanium deuteration is accomplished in the same chamber where the film is grown to avoid any superficial contamination of the sample. A complete set of NRS experiments is performed, checking as triggering mechanisms of the NRS phenomena the imposition of different electric fields and the crossing of the δ-ϵ and β-δ boundary phases of the Ti-D system. Neutron measurements are monitored while doing these experiments, and no clear evidence of the nuclear fusion reaction D + D → ³He + n is detected; the detection limit for this reaction is Λ = 3 × 10⁻²¹ fusions per pair of deuterons per second. However, some anomalous neutron signals are monitored by one of the detectors, which makes further investigation desirable.