Spectroscopic identification of a novel catalytic reaction of rubidium ion with 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. 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 RbNO3. Since the second ionization energy of rubidium is 27.28 eV, the reaction Rb+ to Rb2+ 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. ≈103 K) and an extraordinary low field strength of about 1–2 V/cm. No emission was observed with RbNO3 or hydrogen alone or when noncatalysts, Mg(NO3)2 or Al(NO3)3, replaced RbNO3 with hydrogen. Emission was observed from Rb2+ 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.