As a young girl growing up in the small rural town of Parkman, Ohio, Dr. Theresa Benyo was always interested in science. A pivotal moment came in first grade when she was tasked with collecting soil samples from different states during a family vacation. This early exposure to hands-on science planted the seeds of curiosity. "I had to collect samples from all those states...I did notice ‘Wow, these are all different,’" Dr. Benyo recalled about the experience, which was her first introduction to systematic observation and reporting.

Her passion for mathematics and problem-solving continued to evolve throughout her school years. By high school, Benyo was deeply engaged with computers, a burgeoning field at the time. Despite this inclination towards computing and mathematics, Benyo’s trajectory took a turn towards physics, propelled by a scholarship opportunity that she learned about in her senior year of high school. Her physics teacher informed her about a physics scholarship at Kent State University, which required taking a physics test. Benyo excelled at the test, won the scholarship, and chose to pursue a degree in physics, although her initial intention had been to major in mathematics. "I ended up by default being a physics major...I didn't intend to do that. I wanted to be a math major," Benyo explained about this serendipitous shift in her academic path.

After completing her undergraduate studies, Benyo was deeply involved in computing and data analysis, which remained a central component of her early professional roles. Before joining NASA, Dr. Benyo briefly worked in a role related to nuclear diagnostics at a company that manufactures radiation detection equipment. This experience in nuclear diagnostics would later prove to be a crucial link to her future work in nuclear physics at NASA.

As she described in our interview, her move to NASA wasn't a direct result of her initial professional pursuits but rather a confluence of her evolving interests and the broader shifts in research focus at NASA. When NASA offered her a position, it was an opportunity too good to pass up, and it gave her a path back to some of her passions: physics and computing.

Dr. Benyo's experimental work at NASA involves a deep dive into low-energy nuclear reactions (LENR), a field that explores potential nuclear fusion at conditions far cooler than those typically required for such reactions. Her experiments at NASA focus on validating the existence and understanding of the mechanisms of LENR.

Dr. Benyo's early career at NASA focused on high-performance and parallel computing research. TThough initially unrelated to nuclear physics, this work utilized her data analysis and computational models skills. As the focus on computer science waned at NASA, she found herself drawn back to her roots in physics, leading her to pursue a Ph.D. in the field. During this time, she became intrigued by LENR, sparked by anomalies observed in a colleague's experiments involving heat effects in pressurized palladium-silver tubing systems. This discovery prompted her shift towards LENR research. "I reached out to him, and said, 'Hey, are you still doing this research?'...Luckily enough, at the time, a project was starting in this area," Dr. Benyo shared about her pivotal move into LENR.

Dr. Benyo's work at NASA includes extensive experimental research and sophisticated nuclear diagnostics. She has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of how LENR can occur under specific conditions. Her work challenges the traditional boundaries of nuclear physics, combining rigorous scientific methods with a readiness to explore the controversial and the unknown. Her experimental work at NASA involves a deep dive into low-energy nuclear reactions (LENR), a field that explores potential nuclear fusion at conditions far cooler than those typically required for such reactions. Her experiments at NASA focus on validating the existence and understanding of the mechanisms of LENR.

One of the primary types of experiments Dr. Benyo has been involved in includes deuterium gas loading systems. These experiments often involve materials like palladium and silver, which are known to absorb hydrogen isotopes well. By cycling deuterium gas into these metal systems under pressure, the experiments aim to trigger nuclear reactions at the atomic level. An interesting outcome observed in some of these experiments was the detection of heat anomalies, suggesting exothermic processes that could not be explained by chemical reactions alone. "One of the first encounters was analyzing the materials from the deuterium gas cycling experiments that Gus Fralick did. We were looking at tubing samples underneath the microscope and we saw elements other than palladium and silver on the surface. That was like, ‘Wow that's weird. Why is that there?’"

"One of the first encounters was analyzing the materials from the deuterium gas cycling experiments that Gus Fralick did. We were looking at tubing samples underneath the microscope and we saw elements other than palladium and silver on the surface. That was like, ‘Wow that's weird. Why is that there?’"

Benyo also undertook wet cell experiments, where she also encountered fascinating effects. Electrolytic wet cell experiments involve passing an electric current through an electrolyte (often heavy water containing deuterium) with electrodes made of materials like palladium. These experiments are designed to investigate the electrolytic loading of deuterium into palladium, creating conditions potentially favorable for fusion at room temperatures. During these experiments, signs of nuclear reactions, such as neutron emissions and other nuclear particles typically associated with fusion, are looked for. Benyo described an exciting breakthrough during these experiments, "This one's more of a Eureka kind of moment. Where we are trying to know fusion reactions happen. We have evidence from our neutron spectroscopy because one of the byproducts of DD fusion is 2.45 MeV neutrons. ... When we started replenishing the electrolyte solution in the cell and the heavy water, we started seeing more neutrons. I'm like, oh okay, I think we're onto something. Now. This is like a Eureka moment."

Sophisticated diagnostics are used to verify the occurrences of nuclear reactions. Data analysis, a strength of Dr. Benyo's due to her computing background, plays a crucial role in interpreting these experimental results, helping to refine the experimental setups and hypotheses. Benyo employs computer simulations to model the behaviors and outcomes of her experimental setups, helping Benyo predict and analyze the complex interactions in the experiments. These models help optimize the design of experiments and predict their outcomes, providing a virtual testing ground for hypotheses about LENR mechanisms.

Dr. Benyo's work is not done in isolation; it involves collaboration across various disciplines within NASA and beyond–and with leaders in the LENR field like Larry Forsley (link to interview) and Ed Storms (link to interview). This interdisciplinary approach allows for integrating insights from materials science, nuclear physics, and chemical engineering, among others, to tackle the challenging questions surrounding LENR.

"This one's more of a Eureka kind of moment. Where we are trying to know why fusion reactions happen. We have evidence from our neutron spectroscopy because one of the byproducts of DD fusion is 2.45 MeV neutrons. ... When we started replenishing the electrolyte solution in the cell and the heavy water, we started seeing more neutrons. I'm like, oh okay, I think we're onto something. Now. This is like a Eureka moment."

Benyo’s team’s experiments at NASA are at the cutting edge of nuclear physics, exploring new realms of energy generation that could have far-reaching implications. Her work, characterized by rigorous scientific methods and innovative diagnostic techniques, aims to unravel the mysteries of LENR, potentially paving the way for revolutionary energy solutions. These experiments not only challenge the conventional understanding of nuclear reactions and promise to provide cleaner, more sustainable energy alternatives for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications.

Looking towards the future, Dr. Benyo is enthusiastic about the potential applications of LENR in providing sustainable and efficient energy solutions, particularly in space settings. Her vision includes using LENR for power generation on lunar bases and for autonomous robots on missions exploring the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. "We're working on a hybrid one which would involve fusion and fission but of non-fissile materials where the fusion nuclear reactions supply the neutrons for the fission to happen in other non-fissile material," she elaborated on the innovative approaches being explored to harness this technology.

Dr. Benyo's contributions to NASA and the field of nuclear physics represent a blend of curiosity-driven research and practical applications. "It's really exciting that we got a NASA innovative concepts award to do that kind of study," Dr. Benyo expressed, underscoring her ongoing commitment to expanding the boundaries of what is scientifically possible.