NASA to Investigate Hydrinos

An Anonymous Coward writes "A new NASA program might once and for all settle the "hydrino" question. The concept of the hydrino -- hydrogen shrunk below its normal state with the resulting release of extreme ultraviolet light -- has been derided by the physics establishment and surprisingly embraced by many engineers and people with deep pockets. Slashdot hashed the hydrino pretty vigorously in December 1999. Now NASA is funding independent research into making a rocket from this novel idea. If it works, we could be seeing a sea change in physics. If it fails, hydrinos might finally just float away. There's an active study group of several hundred users (including some prominent scientists) devoted to debating the possible existence of hydrinos. In many ways it sprang from slashdot."

Comments

Schrodinger

[Fantanicity]

My first thought was the Schrodinger equation - it can be solved for Hydrogen.

Question 1 : Are hydrinos possible according to the Schrodinger equation?

Question 2 : If not, what changes to Schrodinger are needed to explain hydrinos and are these changes consistent with the rest of physics?

(Question 0 : Or am I smoking crack again?)

The only hits on Schrodinger and Hydrino were from the blacklight people and they seemed to skirt around the question.

Re:Oh God, not these Blacklight loons again...

[BlowCat]

Schrodinger's equation doesn't rule out electron capture in some isotopes. The solution of the equation depends on the forces you take into account. Did you notice the emission line corresponding to the transitions from Kr-81 to Br-81? No? Just because you don't see it, it doesn't mean it's impossible - it can be a very rare event.

Even if the hydrino theory is bogus, let's use valid arguments.