Ultra-Dense Deuterium Produced

Omomyid was among several readers writing in about the production of microscopic amounts of ultra-dense deuterium by scientists at the University of Gothenberg, in Sweden. A cubic centimeter of the stuff would weigh 287 lbs. (130 kg). UDD is 100,000 times more dense than water, and a million times more dense than deuterium ice, which is a common fuel in laser-ignited fusion projects. The researchers say that, if (big if) the material can be produced in large quantities, it would vastly improve the chances of starting a fusion reaction, as the atoms are much closer together. Such a D-D fusion reaction would be cleaner than one involving highly radioactive tritium. Many outlets have picked up the same press release that Science Daily printed pretty much verbatim (as is their wont); there doesn't seem to be much else about this on the Web. Here's the home page of one of the researchers. The press release gives no hint as to how the UDD was produced. Reader wisebabo asks: "I can easily imagine a material being compressed by some heavy duty diamond anvil to reach this density, the question is: what happens when you let the pressure off? Will it expand (explosively one would presume) back to its original volume?"

Comments

That's "dilithium"

[Actually, I do RTFA]

Woo-hoo, warp drive, here we come!

Oh, only "cold fusion here we come"? Fine, lets just solve our enrgy crisis then. *kicks rock, wishes for holodeck*

Re:That's "dilithium"

[snsh]

Is this Red Matter? Or is the thing you eject into the black hole at the end of the movie to cancel out the Red Matter?

Re:That's "dilithium"

[Alsee]

Heay douchebag, you can't get free redhead porn on the internet.

-

Re:That's "dilithium"

[Jedi Alec]

So vegetarians/vegans/fruititarians can't exist in space? What's Earth's special property that allows them to exist here?

Spiders crawl into their mouths while they sleep. No spiders on the spaceship...the vegans die. Save the spiders!

Hmm

[poetmatt]

Sounds like the university of gothenberg should just go walk nibbler.

No problem.

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Twas asked:

"I can easily imagine a material being compressed by some heavy duty diamond anvil to reach this density, the question is: what happens when you let the pressure off? Will it expand (explosively one would presume) back to its original volume?"

Simple answer, known by all: Duct Tape.

RS

It's also good for practical jokes

[master_p]

Imaging putting a little bit of that in ones shoe...a great laugh!

Re:It's also good for practical jokes

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, it would probably be funnier to put it someone elses shoes.

Re:It's also good for practical jokes

[dontmakemethink]

But think how much heavier the Earth will be when they start making lots of this stuff. Won't that affect our solar orbit? Or the tide?

It's like how sponges can hold 25 times their weight in water. Imagine how high the water levels would be if they became extinct!

I don't know how people can sleep...

marketing the study of physics

[rev_sanchez]

I don't think they could do much better than claim a major breakthrough in Hot Double-D Reactions.

Re:Ultra Dense Planet

[AndersOSU]

I'm trying to imagine what would happen if you threw a 35000 lb soda can of UDD into the campfire.

It is an extremely dense material...

[Carnth]

each pound of which weighs over ten thousand pounds.

Re:Ultra Dense Planet

[canajin56]

It's so dense that a single pound of it weighs over 10,000 pounds!

Re:Not necessarily a gas!

[jbeaupre]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess: Physics!

ultra-dense deuterium

[HTH NE1]

Please, please, please don't let them call it deuterium ore .

Re:Ultra Dense Planet

[Remus Shepherd]

You're right -- just think of what a boon this will be to the mining and drilling industries.

Because you know, that's all it's going to be good for. It's dense enough to fall through granite and limestone like they were tissue paper. I'm getting a figure of mechanical pressure that's about twice what hardened steel can take.

Fill a soda can with this stuff and watch it shoot down into the center of the Earth, with nothing you can do to stop it. If it's any consolation, after that it will probably fuse and explode.

I, for one, welcome our new swedish doomsday weapon.

Re:Duct tape is only half of the equation.

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Good point. I forgot about the WD40. Slicker than greased owl shit.

but I think this deuterium stuff is likely to expand, quickly, so I think a plastic box wrapped in duct tape is the right answer.

Re:Ultra Dense Planet

[mr_mischief]

I'm having fun imagining him trying to lift and lightly toss 35 thousand pounds of anything.

Re:LOTS of missing details from TFA:

[Chrutil]

So, in summary, I have to say: "Sorry, dude, I just don't think it'll work."

Hang on.. your post was too long - were you replying to the guy who suggested duct tape?

Re:Duct tape is only half of the equation.

[Ralph Spoilsport]

Bad idea - once the deuterium's done, you'll never get it open for reprocessing.

RS

Re:how does this not spontaneously fuse

[T Murphy]

Fusion is a product of temperature and density.

That should mean we would get fusion if we turn up the thermostat at the Capitol building.