Experiment 4 - Light Water

 Cell:

• Cathode:  3.5 cm of exposed 0.25mm Ag wire as close as possible to 1 cm x 2 cm Landauer CR-39 chip.
• Anode:  Approximately 5 cm of 0.5 mm Pt wire with Pt screen spot welded on end  
• WITH magnets

 Electrolyte:

• 30 gm H2O + 0.42 gm LiCl + 0.176 gm PdCl2

 Procedure:

• 0.28 mA for 8 hours (1 mA/cm^2)
• 0.83 mA for 8 hours (3 mA/cm^2)
• 1.37 mA until clear – 12 days (5 mA/cm^2)
• 5 mA for 24 hours
• 10 mA for 24 hours
• 25 mA for 24 hours
• 50 mA for 24 hours
• 100 mA for 48 hours

Etch:

• 6.5M NaOH at 68°C for 6 hours

Results (Started on 12.26.06 Ended on 1.13.07):

• Chemical attack on surface of CR-39

• No obvious pre-tracks except in one small area

• Tracks visible in that small area, but not across the entire chip

  • previous light water experiments showed no difference in number of tracks (E5)

  • Cathode wire may have been held away from the chip?