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

From a solution of a Schrödinger-type wave equation with a nonradiative boundary condition based on Maxwellʹs 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(m×27.2 eV, wherein m is an integer). 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 potassium atoms. The first, second, and third ionization energies of potassium are 4.34066, 31.63, and 45.806 eV, respectively. The triple ionization reaction of K to K3+, then, has a net enthalpy of reaction of 81.7766 eV, which is equivalent to 3×27.2 eV. Intense extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission was observed from incandescently heated atomic hydrogen and the atomized potassium catalyst that generated an anomalous plasma at low temperatures (e.g. ≈103 K) and an extraordinary low field strength of about 1–2 V/cm. No emission was observed with potassium or hydrogen alone or when sodium replaced potassium with hydrogen. Emission was observed from K3+ that confirmed the resonant nonradiative energy transfer of 3×27.2 eV from atomic hydrogen to atomic potassium. 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 atomic potassium is the hydride ion H−(1/4). This ion was observed spectroscopically at 110 nm corresponding to its predicted binding energy of 11.2 eV.