Dr. Fleischmann speculated that the heat was coming from fusion of the deuterium atoms.
They claimed that an electrical current running through the water pulled deuterium atoms into two palladium electrodes, generating heat.
The speculation was that the heat was coming from the fusion of the deuterium atoms.
But to generate that energy, those deuterium atoms have to be fused together at over two hundred and fifty million degrees centigrade.
A deuterium atom is twice as heavy as normal hydrogen.
Water incorporating a deuterium atom has a mass of 19, over 5% heavier.
Two deuterium atoms combined with an oxygen atom is sometimes called "heavy water."
If you add up the mass of two deuterium atoms, you will notice that Helium is very slightly lighter.
Two deuterium atoms then join into one helium atom.
He replaced the electrons in deuterium atoms with muons, heavier, short-lived particles.