  Exposure of highly deuterated materials to a low-energy (nom. 2 MeV) photon
beam resulted in nuclear activity of both the parent metals of hafnium and
erbium and a witness material (molybdenum) mixed with the reactants. Gamma
spectral analysis of all deuterated materials, ErD2.8-C36D74-Mo and
HfD2-C36D74-Mo, showed that nuclear processes had occurred as shown by unique
gamma signatures. For the deuterated erbium specimens, posttest gamma spectra
showed evidence of radioisotopes of erbium (163Er and 171Er) and of molybdenum
(99Mo and 101Mo) and by beta decay, technetium (99mTc and 101Tc). For the
deuterated hafnium specimens, posttest gamma spectra showed evidence of
radioisotopes of hafnium (180mHf and 181Hf) and molybdenum (99Mo and 101Mo),
and by beta decay, technetium (99mTc and 101Tc). In contrast, when either the
hydrogenated or non-gas-loaded erbium or hafnium materials were exposed to the
gamma flux, the gamma spectra revealed no new isotopes. Neutron activation
materials showed evidence of thermal and epithermal neutrons. CR-39 solid-state
nuclear track detectors showed evidence of fast neutrons with energies between
1.4 and 2.5 MeV and several instances of triple tracks, indicating greater than
10 MeV neutrons. Further study is required to determine the mechanism causing
the nuclear activity
