Spectroscopic identification of a novel catalytic reaction of rubidium ion with atomic hydrogen and the hydride ion product

Abstract

From a solution of a Schrödinger-type wave equation with a nonradiative boundary condition based on Maxwell's equations, Mills predicts that atomic hydrogen may undergo a catalytic reaction with certain atomized elements and ions which singly or multiply ionize at integer multiples of the potential energy of atomic hydrogen, 27.2 eV . The reaction involves a nonradiative energy transfer to form a hydrogen atom that is lower in energy than unreacted atomic hydrogen with the release of energy. One such atomic catalytic system involves Rb + from RbNO 3. Since the second ionization energy of rubidium is 27.28 eV , the reaction Rb + to Rb 2+ has a net enthalpy of reaction of 27.28 eV . Intense extreme ultraviolet emission was observed from incandescently heated atomic hydrogen and the atomized Rb + catalyst that generated an anomalous plasma at low temperatures (e.g. ≈10 3 K ) and an extraordinary low field strength of about 1– 2 V/ cm . No emission was observed with RbNO 3 or hydrogen alone or when noncatalysts, Mg(NO 3) 2 or Al(NO 3) 3, replaced RbNO 3 with hydrogen. Emission was observed from Rb 2+ that confirmed the resonant nonradiative energy transfer of 27.2 eV from atomic hydrogen to atomic Rb +. The catalysis product, a lower-energy hydrogen atom, was predicted to be a highly reactive intermediate which further reacts to form a novel hydride ion. The predicted hydride ion of hydrogen catalysis by Rb + is the hydride ion H −(1/2). This ion was observed spectroscopically at 407 nm corresponding to its predicted binding energy of 3.05 eV .