Antonella De Ninno

• Dr.
• Senior Researcher at ENEA Frascati Research Center

The appearance of endogenous electromagnetic fields in biological systems is a widely debated issue in modern science. The electrophysiological fields have very tiny intensities and it can be inferred that they are rapidly decreasing with the distance from the generating structure, vanishing at very short distances. This makes very hard their detec...

We have measured the dielectric permittivity of pure water and aqueous chlorides solutions in the range 0.2-1.5THz. We considered the relaxation spectral function as the weighted sum of two independent single-parameter Debye functions. Such an approach allowed to drastically reduce the number of the parameters used in the fit which we set only by p...

It has been claimed that weak extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) can affect biochemical reactions and a wide-ranging body of literature is available on this topic. Nevertheless, the physical nature of these effects remains largely unknown. We investigated the influence of ELF-EMF on glutamic acid solutions using Fourier trans...

EZ water is unable to host solutes, what provides the root of the name Exclusion Zone, and its formation law points towards a diffusive process. These peculiarities have attracted the interest of scientists because it challenges all the theories which have tried to describe the structure of liquid water. The mixture of H-bond stable and H-bond dist...

Experimental observations of vibrational spectra of strong electrolyte solutions with increase in the molarity suggest a self-organization of water molecules depending on the concentration, and not on the ions’ nature. Three different regimes can be observed. At very low concentrations, ions shielding does not change the water molecules intramolecu...

The current study, as part of a PhD project on the design of a helicon thruster, aims to provide a rational methodology for the design of the helicon thruster's main component, i.e., the helicon antenna. A helicon thruster is an innovative electrodeless plasma thruster that works by exciting helicon waves in a magnetized plasma, and its antenna is...

The current study, as part of a PhD project on the design of a helicon thruster, aims to provide a rational methodology for the design of the helicon thruster’s main component, i.e., the helicon antenna. A helicon thruster is an innovative electrodeless plasma thruster that works by exciting helicon waves in a magnetized plasma, and its antenna is...

This research work is part of a PhD project aiming to design a new helicon plasma thruster for cargo space missions, within a collaboration between the School of Aerospace Engineering of La Sapienza University and the ENEA Frascati research center. A 0-D global design model of the thruster is first established to identify the main operational condi...

This research work is part of a PhD project aiming to design a new helicon plasma thruster for cargo space missions, within a collaboration between the School of Aerospace Engineering of La Sapienza University and the ENEA Frascati research center. A 0-D global design model of the thruster is first established to identify the main operational condi...

Dielectric response of pure water and aqueous chlorides solutions at very high frequencies, greater than 1 GHz, can fully be accounted for only considering the relaxation spectral function as the weighted sum of two independent single-parameter Debye functions. Two different relaxation modes are assigned to a collective mode and to an individual mo...

The two liquids nature of water is shown through several experiments of FTIR, NIR and THz-TD spectroscopy. The quantum-mechanical origin of the two phases is discussed in the light of the results of the experiments.

This article presents a new method for estimating the electron temperature of the Proto-sphera's screw pinch. The temperature radial profile is obtained by a self-consistent modeling of a 1D MHD equilibrium along with a 0D power balance of the plasma column, given measurements and estimates of the axial pinch plasma current, of the plasma rotationa...

This article presents a new method for estimating the electron temperature of the Protosphera's screw pinch. The temperature radial profile is obtained by a self-consistent modeling of a 1D MHD equilibrium along with a 0D power balance of the plasma column, given measurements and estimates of the axial pinch plasma current, of the plasma rotational...

The experimental data observation confirms the existence of two different populations in liquid water.

We have measured the dielectric permittivity of pure water and aqueous chlorides solutions in the range 0.2-1.5THz. Considered the relaxation spectral function as the weighted sum of two independent single-parameter Debye functions [1] we have been able to drastically reduce the number of the parameters used in the fit. The experimental data in the...

Isosbestic (equal absorption) points in the IR and NIR spectra of liquid water are a well known feature and they witness the existence of two populations of oscillators in the probed system. Despite it is a well known experimental fact, in the mainstream molecular dynamics approach the proposed theoretical explanations for it are not able to elucid...

We have studied the transmission spectra in the range 0.2-1.5 THz of samples of pure water and of aqueous solutions of the following electrolytes: NaCl (0.6, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5M), KCl (1, 2, 3 and 4M), CsCl (1, 2, 3 and 6M) and LiCl (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 and 12M). All solutions were prepared using deionized water (2 µS conductivity) and the samples were...

THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is a suitable approach to study the state of preservation of cultural heritage made of organic materials in a non-destructive way. This technique highlights, in particular, the low-energy vibrational properties of these materials and the presence of the H-bonds between molecules [1]. We focus in particular on...

In spite of a large number of papers published in the last twenty years in the literature, the basic model of liquid water is still controversial. We have measured the dielectric permittivity of pure water and aqueous chlorides solutions in the range 0.2 to 1.5 THz and we have found that the overall dielectric behavior can be satisfactorily describ...

The existence of an isosbestic point in the OH bond vibration band of H2O molecules in solutions of strong electrolytes has been shown by many research groups but its physical meaning has been only recently read as the equilibrium point between two populations of water molecules where either water-ion or water-water interactions respectively prevai...

Background Isosbestic (equal absorption) points in the IR and NIR spectra of liquid water are a well-known feature and they witness the existence of two populations of oscillators in the probed system. Despite it is a well-known experimental fact, in the mainstream molecular dynamics approach the proposed theoretical explanations for it are not abl...

The existence of an isosbestic point in the OH bond vibration band of H2O molecules in solutions of strong electrolytes has been shown by many research groups but its physical meaning has been only recently read as the equilibrium point between two populations of water molecules where either water-ion or water-water interactions respectively prevai...

IT: Emilio Del Giudice era persona di grande cultura e di molte letture, dagli interessi più vari e proprio per questo quando parlava o scriveva desiderava essere compreso il più possibile da chiunque fosse interessato ad ascoltarlo. Nella scelta degli scritti proposti, si è cercato di includere gli argomenti che più l’hanno appassionato: politica,...

Here we report an ATR-FTIR study on aqueous electrolytic solutions aimed to investigate the nature of the isosbestic point observed in the stretching mode broad band. This feature reveals that the properties of the system are described by the superposition of two components at equilibrium whose relative abundance depends on the running parameter. H...

The laser induced plasma spectroscopy was applied on particles attached on substrate represented by a silica wafer covered with a thin oil film. The substrate itself weakly interacts with a ns Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) while presence of particles strongly enhances the plasma emission, here detected by a compact spectrometer array. Variations of the sa...

NUCLEAR (Nuclear CLEAn Reactor) Project arises from a scientific collaboration among of the Department of Industrial Engineering and the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Catania, and the TECFIS Division of the Frascati Research Center of ENEA. Aim of the project is to develop a device prototype able to check the production o...

The present study is aimed to test whether exposure to electromagnetic fields of very weak intensity (≤1 mT) and low frequency (≤100 Hz) may influence reproductive performance and induce teratogenesis in mice. We speculate that a resonant effect occur when the applied frequency matches the cyclotron frequency of Mg2+ (≈60 Hz) involved in the cell d...

Nuclear transmutations have been reported to occur in matrices subjected to either electrochemical or gas loading at room temperature. To overcome the difficulties of the large Coulomb repulsion among nuclei a γ-ray electromagnetic field appears as a suitable agent. It is discussed whether this e.m. excitation could emerge from cold fusion processe...

“Human beings first feel, then become aware with a troubled and emotional soul and then they reflect with a pure mind”. This sentence from Giovanni Battista Vico, a Neapolitan1 philosopher (1688-1744) is most likely the first thing that comes to my mind when I think to Emilio Del Giudice.

One of the frontier of the spaceflight to be overcome in the next years is the use of organic elements to integrate the on board automated or robotic systems. The adoption of these technologies on board requires their space qualification that is the possibility of testing and experimenting their behavior at low cost in space. So that, the opportuni...

Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has been used to investigate the effect of weak electromagnetic fields on the structure of L-glutamine (L-Gln) and L-phenylalnine (L-Phe) in aqueous solution. It has been found that the exposure to a DC field or a 50 Hz AC field, for a short time induces modifications i...

In a previous paper (WATER Journal Vol. 5) we have shown the modifications induced in the supra-molecular structure of water after iterative long lasting contact with a Nafion® surface. In the present paper we show that structural changes can also be in-duced by other kinds of perturbations such as the iterative filtration on sintered glass and dis...

We report an analysis of the stretching peak appearing in the IR experimental spectra of liquid water. In the literature, ATR-IR spectroscopic measurements were repeatedly performed in a wide range of temperature and gave rise to a lively debate among scientists. In particular a two components model related to H-bond complexes of different strength...

Vibrational spectroscopy provides a powerful tool to understand the molecular structures. When applied to the liquid water, this technique reveals so many details which can also shed a light on the supramolecular arrangement of the most ubiquitous of the substances. In particular, the two fluid model of water, proposed several decades ago, founds e...

Long-range effects in interactions between aqueous solutions and charged surfaces have been frequently reported. Six different experimental techniques have been used to study the properties of water after prolonged contact with a hydrophilic polymer. The presence of supra-molecular aggregates of water, hundreds of nanometres in size, have been obse...

Oxhydroelectric Effect, that is electricity extraction from a water electrolytic solution by twin Pt electrodes, mediated by oxygen molecules, is here reported for the first time in bi-distilled water (electric conductivity of 1.2 microSiemens/cm). The extremely simple components of this experimental system are: two platinum (Pt) wire electrodes, b...

The mechanism of phase transition of some intermetallic (magnetic) alloys from a crystal state to an amorphous state on heating in hydrogen atmosphere, the so called hydrogen induced amorphization (HIA), is not completely elucidated. We propose an explanation of this phenomenon in the frame of Quantum Electro Dynamics (QED) formalism.

Oxhydroelectric Effect, that is the extraction of electricity from an aqueous electrolytic solution by twin Platinum (Pt) electrodes, mediated by oxygen molecules, has been detected for the first time in bi-distilled water (electric conductivity of 1.2 microSiemens/cm). A dc power of the order of tenths of microW, lasting for many hours, was measur...

Even though a wide literature is available on the effects of weak Extremely Low Frequency ElectroMagnetic Fields (ELF-EMF) on the biochemical reactions, nevertheless the physical nature of these effects is largely unknown. The main challenge is the mismatch between the infinitesimal amount of the energy carried by the perturbation and the entity of...

The essential question of whether the interactions within liquid water may best be described by either the continuum or the micro domain model has for some time been a matter of some debate within the scientific community. We studied isotopic exchange in H2O/D2O mixtures by the inspection of IR spectra, and found that it depends strongly on the cor...

IR spectra of mixtures of light and heavy water seem to provide a clear evidence for the existence of substructures, each of which may be assigned to a particular kind of water molecule on the basis of their correlation with the local environment. These substructures have been related to three different populations named correlated, non correlated...

PdH(D)showsmanypeculiaraspectswhichmakeituniquebothforsolidstateandforLENRphysics. Itsmostsurprisingcharacteristic is that it behaves like a stable dense plasma consisting of H(D) nuclei which can be well explained on the basis of an appropriate many-body model.

PdH(D) shows many peculiar aspects which make it unique both for solid state and for LENR physics. Its most surprising characteristic is that it behaves like a stable dense plasma consisting of H(D) nuclei which can be well explained on the basis of an appropriate many-body model.

Living systems cannot be thermal systems, but instead are coherent systems. The dynamic origin of coherence is discussed in the case of electromagnetically coupled particles. Permanent nonvanishing electromagnetic fields are shown to be present but trapped in the coherent systems. The dynamics of enzymes is sketched as an outcome of the coherent el...

This book is a summary of selected experimental and theoretical research performed over the last 19 years that gives profound and unambiguous evidence for low energy nuclear reaction (LENR), historically known as cold fusion. In 1989, the subject was announced with great fanfare, to the chagrin of many people in the science community. However, the...

The aim of this paper is to show that the existence of "cold" nuclear fusion in the palladium lattice cannot be just an irrelevant oddity since it derives from the peculiar interplay of electromagnetic and matter fields. Hence its understanding requires the conceptual frame established by Quantum Electrodynamics (QED). Here we sketch a conceptual p...

The peculiarity of the distribution and geometry of metallic ions in enzymes pushed us to set the hypothesis that metallic ions in active-site act like tiny antennas able to pick up very feeble e.m. signals. Enzymatic activity of Cu2+, Zn2+ Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1) and Fe2+ Xanthine Oxidase (XO) has been studied, following in vitro generation an...

A series of experiments on rats have been performed, to study the effects of long time (50 days) exposure to electromagnetic fields of extremely low frequency (ELF, i.e. less than 100 Hz) and amplitude (non thermal), testing whether the metabolic processes would be affected. The background lies on recent observations on the behaviour of isolated en...

The detection of tiny amounts of 4He in a deuterium rich atmosphere (as well as of 3He in a tritium background) is of great relevance in fusion research. One of the main concerns in a d-t fusion experiment is to prevent significant accumulation of 4He ashes in the core plasma, since this would result in a dilution of the d-t fuel and in a consequen...

This article describes a new method to quantitatively detect extremely small amounts of helium (and eventually other inert gases) in complex gaseous mixtures, even in the presence of very high concentrations of hydrogen isotopes, despite using a conventional (i.e., standard-resolution) quadrupole mass spectrometer. This is accomplished by means of...

In this study we show a reproduction of the Zhadin experiment, which consists of the transient increase of the electrolytic current flow across an aqueous solution of L-arginine and L-glutamic acid induced by a proper low frequency alternating magnetic field superimposed to a static magnetic field of higher strength. We have identified the mechanis...

The aim of this paper is to show that the existence of “cold” nuclear fusion in the Palladium lattice cannot be just an insignificant curiosity of nature since it derives from the peculiar interplay of electromagnetic fields and matter fields. Its understanding then requires the conceptual frame established by Quantum Electro Dynamics (QED). The ex...

The electrolytic insertion of hydrogen into Pd79.5Rh20.5 (at.%) alloy from acid and alkaline electrolytes was investigated in the temperature range 25–95 °C. It was found that, at 25 °C, the alloy can be loaded up to hydrogen to metal (H/M) ratios (0.90 in acid, 0.95 in alkaline electrolytes) comparable to those achieved by H2 pressures above 108 P...

The procedures of the Chemical industry have been ruled by the succession of paradigma which have governed our understanding of chemical reactions. Thus, during the precedig six centuries, we we can see the evolution from the empirical rules of the Middle Ages to the more sophisticated and mature approaches of Classical mechanics, Thermodynamics an...

Nuclear transmutations have been reported to occur in matrices subjected to either electrochemical or gas loading at room temperature. To overcome the difficulties of the large Coulomb repulsion among nuclei a gamma-ray electromagnetic field appears as a suitable agent. It is discussed whether this electromagnetic excitation could emerge from cold...

Excesses enthalpy consistent only with a nuclear process (deuterium fusion) has been claimed since 1989, even though these results are considered inconsistent with modern nuclear science and have been discarded by the most of nuclear scientists. We started an experimental programme aimed at probing these issues: ! Thermal anomalies can be observed...

The problems arising from the techniques of measurement so far used to detect 4He in the gases coming out from Fleishmann-Pons cells are discussed. Innovative solutions are proposed. The results of extensive tests carried out with a facility built at ENEA Frascati are reported, which prove the ability of this equipment to overcome the problems disc...

We report the preliminary results of an experiment aimed at detecting the simultaneous production of excess heat and 4He in Palladium cathodes loaded with Deuterium up to a stoichiometric ratio x=D/Pd larger than 1. In a different presentation to this Conference [1] the dynamics of the loading has been discussed. When x rises above 0.7, deuterons e...

The aim of the present contribution is to summarize what we have learnt in the last years about the ways and the means through which we are able to reach high loadings (x=D/Pd >1) in Pd-D systems. We list in the following the main features of the above systems at high x.

The resources dedicated by ENEA to Cold Fusion research in the last two years have been strongly reduced. Nevertheless, fruitful activity has been performed following two main lines. The first line attains to the effort for reaching high values of D/Pd ratio in Pd in order to obtain the best conditions for cold fusion phenomena, in particular power...

Hydrogen dissolves in metals by occupying interstitial positions and expanding the lattice. It follows that a stress field is generated by the loading process itself. The aim of this paper is to discuss, on the basis of experimental results, whether the stress field is responsible for the force which limits the attainment of high concentrations of...

The strong concentration gradients produced during the loading process in palladium hydride are responsible for the well known difficulty in obtaining high loading ratios (H(D)/Pd≈1). Experiments on electrolytic loading of palladium with deuterium have been carried out in which the loading ratio was monitored through a four wire resistance techniqu...

The behavior of ions confined by means of quadrupolar electrodynamic containment around palladium lattice tetrahedral sites is discussed. Ion confinement in a quadrupolar trap is known to be strongly influenced by initial conditions and trap parameters. The system studied is a lattice ion trap for deuterons, supposing they occupy the tetrahedral si...

A method to determine the concentration of deuterium inside a palladium cathode during the electrolysis of LiOD–heavy water solution is described. This method is based on the measurement of the host metal lattice parameter which is linearly related to the concentration in a wide range. A hard‐x‐ray beam which is able to cross two glass walls and fe...

A cryostat including a 3He refrigerator has been designed, built, coupled to a multiband far infrared (FIR) photometer and successfully operated on a balloon flight. Here the cryostat, which is able to cool three bolometers to 0.3 K and one to 1.5 K, is described. The total holding time of the cryostat exceeds 5 days, being limited by exhaustion of...

We report on X-ray diffraction measurements performed during the charging of a palladium cathode with deuterium by the electrolysis of a LiOD-heavy water solution to determine the lattice parameter. In this way we are able to study the dynamics of the process and to determine the D/Pd final ratio of the sample. Up to now we have studied three sampl...

Two different polarization regimes have mainly been used during electrolytic deuterium loading of palladium cathodes to produce an excess of heat in {open_quotes}cold fusion{close_quotes} experiments. Most of the experimentalists apply a constant current density, while some prefer to work with a square-wave current. The different effects of the two...

An experiment based on the electrolysis of heavy water with a palladium cathode is reported. The production of excess power during the electrolysis has been measured with the help of a quite accurate and reliable calorimeter. The correlation of the detected power excess with some meaningful parameters of the experiment is investigated. Some of the...

Oggetto dell'invenzione è un sistema per produzione di neutroni e calore da fusione nucleare di nuclei di deuterio gassoso adsorbiti o assorbiti nel reticolo di titanio o altri metalli con caratteristiche analoghe a mezzo di un'apparecchiatura che comprende fondamentalmente un contenitore di reazione immerso in un ambiente a temperatura controllata...

We describe the TIR telescope: a 2.6 m telescope which can be carried to balloon altitude, to perform far infrared (FIR) and millimetric (mm) observations. The telescope has been optimized for the search of Cosmic Background Radiation (CBR) Anisotropies and of faint, diffuse mm and FIR sources. We illustrate the scientific problems which this syste...

The emission of neutrons from a titanium-deuterium gas system has been detected by us in experiments performed in the Spring of 1989. One of the most striking features was the structure in bursts (duration of about 100 mus) of the neutron emission. Using a detection system proposed by H. Menlove, suitable to analyze the structure in bursts of the e...

The main characteristics and technical solutions used in the development of a high throughput mm andmm four band photometer are outlined. The photometer is designed for astronomical observations with the ARGO and TIR balloon telescopes of the Italian Space Agency. The cryogenic components of the photometer are discussed and shown in diagrammatic fo...

The object of the present invention is a system for producing neutrons and heat by nuclear fusion of gaseous deuterium nuclei adsorbed or absorbed in the crystal lattice of titanium or of other metals with analogous characteristics by means of an equipment which fundamentally comprises a reaction vessel (10) immersed in a temperature-controlled env...

Critical currents carried by Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconducting samples have been measured as a function of temperature and of a weak applied magnetic field. Both polycrystalline samples, of the 2212 (Tc=85K) and 2223 (Tc=110K) phases, and single crystals of the 85K phase have been investigated. For sintered samples the critical current density, at a te...

The interaction of deuterium gas with titanium has produced a flow of neutrons in two experiments reported here. This seems to show that it is not necessary to use electrolysis in order to obtain a low-temperature fusion reaction between deuterium nuclei. The experiment confirms also that nonequilibrium conditions are necessary in order to produce...

The interaction of deuterium gas with titanium has produced a flow of neutrons in the experiment reported here. This seems to show that it is not necessary to use electrolysis in order to obtain a low-temperature fusion reaction between deuterium nuclei. The experiment confirms also that nonequilibrium conditions are necessary in order to produce s...