Analysis of a laboratory experiment on neutron generation by discharges in the open atmosphere

A recently reported laboratory experiment with a high-voltage long discharge in the open atmosphere producing neutrons ``{}up to energies above 10 MeV{}'' [Agafonov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 115003 (2013)] is critically analyzed. Known elementary processes, namely, nuclear synthesis ²H(²H,n)0.28em0ex³He and ²H(¹⁴N,n)0.28em0ex¹⁵O, photonuclear, electrodisintegration ₘⁿA(e^-,n)0.28em0exₘ^n-1A and opposite to the {β}-decay e^-(p⁺,n)νₑ reactions, as well as unconventional mechanisms and the hypothetical increase in the nuclear synthesis cross sections are not capable of accounting for the neutron generation under conditions of the experiment analyzed. In particular, total energy yields of reactions ²H(²H,n)0.28em0ex³He and ²H(¹⁴N,n)¹⁵O are less than the claimed neutron energy above 10 MeV. Trustworthiness of the neutron measurements on the basis of the available study of the C-39 track detectors behavior carried out by Faccini et al. [Eur. Phys. J. C 74, 2894 (2014)] in connection with claimed observations of neutron emission in electrolytic cells is discussed. Real-time measurements of x-ray and neutron pulses by Agafonov et al. are commented on using the thorough study of the x-ray emissions by discharges under similar conditions [Kochkin et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 45, 425202 (2012)].