Sergio Focardi is an Italian physicist

Physicist

A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...

, emeritus

Emeritus

Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...

 professor at the University of Bologna

University of Bologna

The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...

.
He led the Department of Bologna of the (Italian) National Institute for Nuclear Physics

Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare

The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare is the coordinating institution for nuclear, particle and astroparticle physics in Italy. It was founded on the 8th of August 1951, to further the nuclear physics research tradition initiated by Enrico Fermi in Rome, in the 1930s...

 and the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences at the University of Bologna

University of Bologna

The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...

. He is a member of the President's Board of the Italian Physical Society

Italian Physical Society

The Italian Physical Society was founded in 1897 and is a non-profit organization whose aim is to promote, encourage, protect the study and the progress of physics in Italy and in the world....

.
Since 1992 he has been working on cold fusion

Cold fusion

Cold fusion, also called low-energy nuclear reaction , refers to the hypothesis that nuclear fusion might explain the results of a group of experiments conducted at ordinary temperatures . Both the experimental results and the hypothesis are disputed...

 with Nickel

Nickel

Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...

-Hydrogen

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...

 reactors. Since 2008 Focardi and inventor Andrea Rossi

Andrea Rossi (entrepreneur)

Andrea Rossi is an Italian inventor and entrepreneur. He is the inventor of the Energy Catalyzer a supposed cold fusion or Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction thermal power source...

 have collaborated on developing the Energy Catalyzer

Energy Catalyzer

The Energy Catalyzer is a supposed cold fusion or Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction heat source built by inventor Andrea Rossi, with support from physicist Sergio Focardi...

 or E-Cat.

Studies on Nickel-Hydrogen exothermal systems

In the early 90s Sergio Focardi, together with physicists Roberto Habel and Francesco Piantelli, started to develop a nickel-hydrogen exothermal reactor. The results of their research was presented in 1994, and published on the peer-reviewed scientific journal

Scientific journal

In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...

 Il Nuovo Cimento A.

Further readings

• SpringerLink page on Sergio Focardi
• Complete list of publications
• English transcript of "Sergio Focardi Presents TED Talk on Nickel/Hydrogen Reaction" (original video with English subtitles available).
• English transcript of "A radio interview with Sergio Focardi, the father of Ni-H Cold-Fusion". Città del Capo Radio Metropolitana, Bologna, Italy, 5 April 2011. Original audio (in Italian, here with English subtitles available).
• EV World podcast. Andrea Rossi speaks about his relationship with Sergio Focardi, beginning at 6 minutes and 20 seconds.

See also

• Energy Catalyzer
  Energy Catalyzer
  The Energy Catalyzer is a supposed cold fusion or Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction heat source built by inventor Andrea Rossi, with support from physicist Sergio Focardi...