Leif Holmlid
	Professor emeritus
	Atmospheric Science Department of Chemistry University of Gothenburg
	Phone: +46(0)31-772 2832
	Email: holmlid@
	more information

My main research interest is Rydberg Matter, which is a state of matter of the same status as liquid or solid, since it can be formed by a large number of atoms and small molecules. For a more complete description, see Wikipedia.

The lowest state of Rydberg Matter in excitation state n = 1 can only be formed from hydrogen (protium and deuterium) atoms and is designated H(1) or D(1). This is dense or metallic hydrogen, which we have studied for a few years. The bond distance is 153 pm, or 2.9 times the Bohr radius. It is a quantum fluid, with a density of approximately 0.6 kg / dm3. See for example Ref. 167 below!

A much denser state exists for deuterium, named D(-1). We call it ultra-dense deuterium. This is the inverse of D(1), and the bond distance is very small, equal to 2.3 pm. Its density is extremely large, >130 kg / cm3, if it can exist as a dense phase. Due to the short bond distance, D-D fusion is expected to take place easily in this material. See Refs. 179 and 183 below and Wikipedia! See also a press release and listen to a radio interview in Swedish (10.50 min into the program).

Pictures:

Laser experiment on ultra-dense deuterium

The initial laser process in ultra-dense deuterium

Some recent publications:

186. P.U. Andersson and L. Holmlid, "Ultra-dense deuterium: a possible nuclear fuel for inertial confinement fusion (ICF)". Phys. Letters A 373 (2009) 3067–3070. doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2009.06.046.

185. L. Holmlid, H. Hora, G. Miley and X. Yang, "Ultrahigh-density deuterium of Rydberg matter clusters for inertial confinement fusion targets". Laser and Particle Beams 27 (2009) 529–532.

184. A. Kotarba and L. Holmlid, "Energy-pooling transitions to doubly excited K atoms at a promoted
iron-oxide catalyst surface: more than 30 eV available for reaction". Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 11 (2009) 4351-4359. DOI: 10.1039/b817380j.

183. S. Badiei, P. U. Andersson and L. Holmlid, "High-energy Coulomb explosions in ultra-dense deuterium: time-of-flight mass spectrometry with variable energy and flight length". Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 282 (2009) 70-76. Link to abstract and paper.

182. L. Holmlid, "Nm interatomic distances in Rydberg Matter clusters confirmed by phase-delay spectroscopy". J. Nanopart. Res. (2009) DOI 10.1007/s11051-009-9605-2.

181. L. Holmlid, "Light in condensed matter in the upper atmosphere as the origin of homochirality: circularly polarized light from Rydberg Matter". Astrobiol. 9 (2009) 535-542.

180. L. Holmlid, "Nuclear spin transitions in the kHz range in Rydberg Matter clusters give precise values of the internal magnetic field from orbiting Rydberg electrons". Chem. Phys. 358 (2009) 61–67.

179. S. Badiei, P. U. Andersson and L. Holmlid, "Fusion reactions in high-density hydrogen: a fast route to small-scale fusion?" Int. J. Hydr. Energy 34 (2009) 487-495. Link to abstract and paper.

178. L. Holmlid, "Clusters H_N⁺ (N = 4, 6, 12) from condensed atomic hydrogen and deuterium indicating close-packed structures in the desorbed phase at an active catalyst surface". Surf. Sci. 602 (2008) 3381–3387.

177. L. Holmlid, "Vibrational transitions in Rydberg Matter clusters from stimulated Raman and Rabi-flopping phase-delay in the infrared". J. Raman Spectr. 39 (2008) 1364–1374.

176. S. Badiei and L. Holmlid, "Condensed atomic hydrogen as a possible target in inertial confinement fusion (ICF)". J. Fusion Energ. 27 (2008) 296–300.

175. L. Holmlid, "The diffuse interstellar band (DIB) carriers in interstellar space: all intense bands calculated from He doubly excited states embedded in Rydberg Matter". Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 384 (2008) 764–774.

174. L. Holmlid, "Rotational spectra of large Rydberg Matter clusters K₃₇, K₆₁ and K₉₁ give trends in K-K bond distances relative to electron orbit radius". J. Mol. Struct. 885 (2008) 122-130.



Popular science:

L. Holmlid, "Rydberg Matter - diary from the laboratory" (translation of title in Swedish "Rydbergsmateria - dagbok från labbet". Forskning och Framsteg 38:4 (2003) 14-17.

2009-08-25