1
|
Feng J, Wang W, Fu C, Chen L, Tan J, Li Y, Wang J, Li Y, Zhang G, Ma Y, Zhang J. Femtosecond Pumping of Nuclear Isomeric States by the Coulomb Collision of Ions with Quivering Electrons. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:052501. [PMID: 35179938 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.052501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Efficient production of nuclear isomers is critical for pioneering applications, like nuclear clocks, nuclear batteries, clean nuclear energy, and nuclear γ-ray lasers. However, due to small production cross sections and quick decays, it is extremely difficult to acquire a significant amount of isomers with short lifetimes via traditional accelerators or reactors because of low beam intensity. Here, for the first time, we experimentally present femtosecond pumping of nuclear isomeric states by the Coulomb excitation of ions with the quivering electrons induced by laser fields. Nuclei populated on the third excited state of ^{83}Kr are generated with a peak efficiency of 2.34×10^{15} particles/s from a tabletop hundred-TW laser system. It can be explained by the Coulomb excitation of ions with the quivering electrons during the interaction between laser pulses and clusters at nearly solid densities. This efficient and universal production method can be widely used for pumping isotopes with excited state lifetimes down to picoseconds, and could be a benefit for fields like nuclear transition mechanisms and nuclear γ-ray lasers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Feng
- Key Laboratory of Laser Plasma (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wenzhao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Laser Plasma (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Changbo Fu
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-beam Application (MoE), Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Liming Chen
- Key Laboratory of Laser Plasma (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Junhao Tan
- Key Laboratory of Laser Plasma (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yaojun Li
- Key Laboratory of Laser Plasma (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jinguang Wang
- Laboratory of Optical Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yifei Li
- Laboratory of Optical Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhang
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yugang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-beam Application (MoE), Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Laser Plasma (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Accurate spectra for high energy ions by advanced time-of-flight diamond-detector schemes in experiments with high energy and intensity lasers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3071. [PMID: 33542470 PMCID: PMC7862373 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82655-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Time-Of-Flight (TOF) methods are very effective to detect particles accelerated in laser-plasma interactions, but they show significant limitations when used in experiments with high energy and intensity lasers, where both high-energy ions and remarkable levels of ElectroMagnetic Pulses (EMPs) in the radiofrequency-microwave range are generated. Here we describe a novel advanced diagnostic method for the characterization of protons accelerated by intense matter interactions with high-energy and high-intensity ultra-short laser pulses up to the femtosecond and even future attosecond range. The method employs a stacked diamond detector structure and the TOF technique, featuring high sensitivity, high resolution, high radiation hardness and high signal-to-noise ratio in environments heavily affected by remarkable EMP fields. A detailed study on the use, the optimization and the properties of a single module of the stack is here described for an experiment where a fast diamond detector is employed in an highly EMP-polluted environment. Accurate calibrated spectra of accelerated protons are presented from an experiment with the femtosecond Flame laser (beyond 100 TW power and ~ 1019 W/cm2 intensity) interacting with thin foil targets. The results can be readily applied to the case of complex stack configurations and to more general experimental conditions.
Collapse
|
3
|
Kemp AJ, Wilks SC, Hartouni EP, Grim G. Generating keV ion distributions for nuclear reactions at near solid-density using intense short-pulse lasers. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4156. [PMID: 31519881 PMCID: PMC6744466 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12076-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of a large range of astrophysical phenomena depends on a precise knowledge of charged particle nuclear reactions that occur at very low rates, which are difficult to measure under relevant plasma conditions. Here, we describe a method for generating dense plasmas at effective ion temperatures >20 keV, sufficient to induce measurable charged particle nuclear reactions. Our approach uses ultra-intense lasers to drive micron-sized, encapsulated nanofoam targets. Energetic electrons generated in the intense laser interaction pass through the foam, inducing a rapid expansion of the foam ions; this results in a hot, near-solid density plasma. We present the laser and target conditions necessary to achieve these conditions and illustrate the system performance using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, outline potential applications and calculate expected nuclear reaction rates in the D(d,n) and 12C(p,γ) systems assuming CD, or CH aerogel foams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A J Kemp
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, CA94550, USA.
| | - S C Wilks
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, CA94550, USA
| | - E P Hartouni
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, CA94550, USA
| | - G Grim
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, CA94550, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Explosive Nucleosynthesis Study Using Laser Driven γ-ray Pulses. QUANTUM BEAM SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/qubs1010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
5
|
Zylstra AB, Herrmann HW, Johnson MG, Kim YH, Frenje JA, Hale G, Li CK, Rubery M, Paris M, Bacher A, Brune CR, Forrest C, Glebov VY, Janezic R, McNabb D, Nikroo A, Pino J, Sangster TC, Séguin FH, Seka W, Sio H, Stoeckl C, Petrasso RD. Using Inertial Fusion Implosions to Measure the T+^{3}He Fusion Cross Section at Nucleosynthesis-Relevant Energies. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 117:035002. [PMID: 27472118 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.117.035002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Light nuclei were created during big-bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). Standard BBN theory, using rates inferred from accelerator-beam data, cannot explain high levels of ^{6}Li in low-metallicity stars. Using high-energy-density plasmas we measure the T(^{3}He,γ)^{6}Li reaction rate, a candidate for anomalously high ^{6}Li production; we find that the rate is too low to explain the observations, and different than values used in common BBN models. This is the first data directly relevant to BBN, and also the first use of laboratory plasmas, at comparable conditions to astrophysical systems, to address a problem in nuclear astrophysics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A B Zylstra
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - H W Herrmann
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - M Gatu Johnson
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Y H Kim
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - J A Frenje
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - G Hale
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - C K Li
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - M Rubery
- Plasma Physics Department, AWE plc, Reading RG7 4PR, United Kingdom
| | - M Paris
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - A Bacher
- Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA
| | - C R Brune
- Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, USA
| | - C Forrest
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - V Yu Glebov
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - R Janezic
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - D McNabb
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - A Nikroo
- General Atomics, San Diego, California 92186, USA
| | - J Pino
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - T C Sangster
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - F H Séguin
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - W Seka
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - H Sio
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - C Stoeckl
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - R D Petrasso
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bang W, Albright BJ, Bradley PA, Vold EL, Boettger JC, Fernández JC. Linear dependence of surface expansion speed on initial plasma temperature in warm dense matter. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29441. [PMID: 27405664 PMCID: PMC4942619 DOI: 10.1038/srep29441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent progress in laser-driven quasi-monoenergetic ion beams enabled the production of uniformly heated warm dense matter. Matter heated rapidly with this technique is under extreme temperatures and pressures, and promptly expands outward. While the expansion speed of an ideal plasma is known to have a square-root dependence on temperature, computer simulations presented here show a linear dependence of expansion speed on initial plasma temperature in the warm dense matter regime. The expansion of uniformly heated 1–100 eV solid density gold foils was modeled with the RAGE radiation-hydrodynamics code, and the average surface expansion speed was found to increase linearly with temperature. The origin of this linear dependence is explained by comparing predictions from the SESAME equation-of-state tables with those from the ideal gas equation-of-state. These simulations offer useful insight into the expansion of warm dense matter and motivate the application of optical shadowgraphy for temperature measurement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Bang
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - B J Albright
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - P A Bradley
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - E L Vold
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - J C Boettger
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - J C Fernández
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bang W, Albright BJ, Bradley PA, Vold EL, Boettger JC, Fernández JC. Uniform heating of materials into the warm dense matter regime with laser-driven quasimonoenergetic ion beams. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2015; 92:063101. [PMID: 26764832 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.92.063101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In a recent experiment at the Trident laser facility, a laser-driven beam of quasimonoenergetic aluminum ions was used to heat solid gold and diamond foils isochorically to 5.5 and 1.7 eV, respectively. Here theoretical calculations are presented that suggest the gold and diamond were heated uniformly by these laser-driven ion beams. According to calculations and SESAME equation-of-state tables, laser-driven aluminum ion beams achievable at Trident, with a finite energy spread of ΔE/E∼20%, are expected to heat the targets more uniformly than a beam of 140-MeV aluminum ions with zero energy spread. The robustness of the expected heating uniformity relative to the changes in the incident ion energy spectra is evaluated, and expected plasma temperatures of various target materials achievable with the current experimental platform are presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Bang
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - B J Albright
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - P A Bradley
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - E L Vold
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - J C Boettger
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - J C Fernández
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bang W, Albright BJ, Bradley PA, Gautier DC, Palaniyappan S, Vold EL, Cordoba MAS, Hamilton CE, Fernández JC. Visualization of expanding warm dense gold and diamond heated rapidly by laser-generated ion beams. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14318. [PMID: 26392208 PMCID: PMC4585717 DOI: 10.1038/srep14318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
With the development of several novel heating sources, scientists can now heat a small sample isochorically above 10,000 K. Although matter at such an extreme state, known as warm dense matter, is commonly found in astrophysics (e.g., in planetary cores) as well as in high energy density physics experiments, its properties are not well understood and are difficult to predict theoretically. This is because the approximations made to describe condensed matter or high-temperature plasmas are invalid in this intermediate regime. A sufficiently large warm dense matter sample that is uniformly heated would be ideal for these studies, but has been unavailable to date. Here we have used a beam of quasi-monoenergetic aluminum ions to heat gold and diamond foils uniformly and isochorically. For the first time, we visualized directly the expanding warm dense gold and diamond with an optical streak camera. Furthermore, we present a new technique to determine the initial temperature of these heated samples from the measured expansion speeds of gold and diamond into vacuum. We anticipate the uniformly heated solid density target will allow for direct quantitative measurements of equation-of-state, conductivity, opacity, and stopping power of warm dense matter, benefiting plasma physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W. Bang
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - B. J. Albright
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - P. A. Bradley
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - D. C. Gautier
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - S. Palaniyappan
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - E. L. Vold
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | | | - C. E. Hamilton
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - J. C. Fernández
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bang W. Disassembly time of deuterium-cluster-fusion plasma irradiated by an intense laser pulse. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2015; 92:013102. [PMID: 26274289 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.92.013102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Energetic deuterium ions from large deuterium clusters (>10nm diameter) irradiated by an intense laser pulse (>10(16)W/cm(2)) produce DD fusion neutrons for a time interval determined by the geometry of the resulting fusion plasma. We present an analytical solution of this time interval, the plasma disassembly time, for deuterium plasmas that are cylindrical in shape. Assuming a symmetrically expanding deuterium plasma, we calculate the expected fusion neutron yield and compare with an independent calculation of the yield using the concept of a finite confinement time at a fixed plasma density. The calculated neutron yields agree quantitatively with the available experimental data. Our one-dimensional simulations indicate that one could expect a tenfold increase in total neutron yield by magnetically confining a 10-keV deuterium fusion plasma for 10ns.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Bang
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Fu C, Bao J, Chen L, He J, Hou L, Li L, Li Y, Li Y, Liao G, Rhee Y, Sun Y, Xu S, Yuan D, Zhang X, Zhao G, Zhao J, Zhu B, Zhu J, Zhang J. Laser-driven plasma collider for nuclear studies. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-015-0821-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
11
|
Bang W, Quevedo HJ, Bernstein AC, Dyer G, Ihn YS, Cortez J, Aymond F, Gaul E, Donovan ME, Barbui M, Bonasera A, Natowitz JB, Albright BJ, Fernández JC, Ditmire T. Characterization of deuterium clusters mixed with helium gas for an application in beam-target-fusion experiments. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 90:063109. [PMID: 25615207 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.90.063109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We measured the average deuterium cluster size within a mixture of deuterium clusters and helium gas by detecting Rayleigh scattering signals. The average cluster size from the gas mixture was comparable to that from a pure deuterium gas when the total backing pressure and temperature of the gas mixture were the same as those of the pure deuterium gas. According to these measurements, the average size of deuterium clusters depends on the total pressure and not the partial pressure of deuterium in the gas mixture. To characterize the cluster source size further, a Faraday cup was used to measure the average kinetic energy of the ions resulting from Coulomb explosion of deuterium clusters upon irradiation by an intense ultrashort pulse. The deuterium ions indeed acquired a similar amount of energy from the mixture target, corroborating our measurements of the average cluster size. As the addition of helium atoms did not reduce the resulting ion kinetic energies, the reported results confirm the utility of using a known cluster source for beam-target-fusion experiments by introducing a secondary target gas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Bang
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544, USA
| | - H J Quevedo
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - A C Bernstein
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - G Dyer
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Y S Ihn
- Department of Physics, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - J Cortez
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - F Aymond
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - E Gaul
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - M E Donovan
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - M Barbui
- Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA
| | - A Bonasera
- Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA and LNS-INFN, Via Santa Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - J B Natowitz
- Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 77843, USA
| | - B J Albright
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544, USA
| | - J C Fernández
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87544, USA
| | - T Ditmire
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bang W, Barbui M, Bonasera A, Quevedo HJ, Dyer G, Bernstein AC, Hagel K, Schmidt K, Gaul E, Donovan ME, Consoli F, De Angelis R, Andreoli P, Barbarino M, Kimura S, Mazzocco M, Natowitz JB, Ditmire T. Experimental study of fusion neutron and proton yields produced by petawatt-laser-irradiated D₂-³He or CD₄-³He clustering gases. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2013; 88:033108. [PMID: 24125372 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.88.033108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We report on experiments in which the Texas Petawatt laser irradiated a mixture of deuterium or deuterated methane clusters and helium-3 gas, generating three types of nuclear fusion reactions: D(d,^{3}He)n, D(d,t)p, and ^{3}He(d,p)^{4}He. We measured the yields of fusion neutrons and protons from these reactions and found them to agree with yields based on a simple cylindrical plasma model using known cross sections and measured plasma parameters. Within our measurement errors, the fusion products were isotropically distributed. Plasma temperatures, important for the cross sections, were determined by two independent methods: (1) deuterium ion time of flight and (2) utilizing the ratio of neutron yield to proton yield from D(d,^{3}He)n and ^{3}He(d,p)^{4}He reactions, respectively. This experiment produced the highest ion temperature ever achieved with laser-irradiated deuterium clusters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Bang
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|