High deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jet
A compact high-flux, short-pulse neutron source would have applications from nuclear astrophysics to cancer therapy. Laser-driven neutron sources can achieve fluxes much higher than spallation and reactor neutron sources by reducing the volume and time in which the neutron-producing reactions occur...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphy.2022.964696/full |
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| author | X. Jiao C. B. Curry C. B. Curry M. Gauthier H.-G. J. Chou H.-G. J. Chou F. Fiuza J. B. Kim D. D. Phan E. McCary E. C. Galtier G. M. Dyer B. K. Ofori-Okai L. Labun O. Z. Labun C. Schoenwaelder C. Schoenwaelder R. Roycroft G. Tiwari G. D. Glenn G. D. Glenn F. Treffert F. Treffert S. H. Glenzer B. M. Hegelich B. M. Hegelich |
| author_facet | X. Jiao C. B. Curry C. B. Curry M. Gauthier H.-G. J. Chou H.-G. J. Chou F. Fiuza J. B. Kim D. D. Phan E. McCary E. C. Galtier G. M. Dyer B. K. Ofori-Okai L. Labun O. Z. Labun C. Schoenwaelder C. Schoenwaelder R. Roycroft G. Tiwari G. D. Glenn G. D. Glenn F. Treffert F. Treffert S. H. Glenzer B. M. Hegelich B. M. Hegelich |
| author_sort | X. Jiao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A compact high-flux, short-pulse neutron source would have applications from nuclear astrophysics to cancer therapy. Laser-driven neutron sources can achieve fluxes much higher than spallation and reactor neutron sources by reducing the volume and time in which the neutron-producing reactions occur by orders of magnitude. We report progress towards an efficient laser-driven neutron source in experiments with a cryogenic deuterium jet on the Texas Petawatt laser. Neutrons were produced both by laser-accelerated multi-MeV deuterons colliding with Be and mixed metallic catchers and by d (d,n)3He fusion reactions within the jet. We observed deuteron yields of 1013/shot in quasi-Maxwellian distributions carrying ∼8−10% of the input laser energy. We obtained neutron yields greater than 1010/shot and found indications of a deuteron-deuteron fusion neutron source with high peak flux (>1022 cm−2 s−1). The estimated fusion neutron yield in our experiment is one order of magnitude higher than any previous laser-induced dd fusion reaction. Though many technical challenges will have to be overcome to convert this proof-of-principle experiment into a consistent ultra-high flux neutron source, the neutron fluxes achieved here suggest laser-driven neutron sources can support laboratory study of the rapid neutron-capture process, which is otherwise thought to occur only in astrophysical sites such as core-collapse supernova, and binary neutron star mergers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:05:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-be53a335c80e45299d8b1ed4606873ad |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-424X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:05:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-be53a335c80e45299d8b1ed4606873ad2023-01-09T12:12:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physics2296-424X2023-01-011010.3389/fphy.2022.964696964696High deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jetX. Jiao0C. B. Curry1C. B. Curry2M. Gauthier3H.-G. J. Chou4H.-G. J. Chou5F. Fiuza6J. B. Kim7D. D. Phan8E. McCary9E. C. Galtier10G. M. Dyer11B. K. Ofori-Okai12L. Labun13O. Z. Labun14C. Schoenwaelder15C. Schoenwaelder16R. Roycroft17G. Tiwari18G. D. Glenn19G. D. Glenn20F. Treffert21F. Treffert22S. H. Glenzer23B. M. Hegelich24B. M. Hegelich25Center for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, CanadaSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesPhysics Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesCenter for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesCenter for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesCenter for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesCenter for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics, Erlangen, GermanyCenter for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesCenter for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesApplied Physics Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United StatesSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesInstitute for Nuclear Physics, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, GermanySLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, United StatesCenter for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesCoReLS, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Gwangju, South KoreaA compact high-flux, short-pulse neutron source would have applications from nuclear astrophysics to cancer therapy. Laser-driven neutron sources can achieve fluxes much higher than spallation and reactor neutron sources by reducing the volume and time in which the neutron-producing reactions occur by orders of magnitude. We report progress towards an efficient laser-driven neutron source in experiments with a cryogenic deuterium jet on the Texas Petawatt laser. Neutrons were produced both by laser-accelerated multi-MeV deuterons colliding with Be and mixed metallic catchers and by d (d,n)3He fusion reactions within the jet. We observed deuteron yields of 1013/shot in quasi-Maxwellian distributions carrying ∼8−10% of the input laser energy. We obtained neutron yields greater than 1010/shot and found indications of a deuteron-deuteron fusion neutron source with high peak flux (>1022 cm−2 s−1). The estimated fusion neutron yield in our experiment is one order of magnitude higher than any previous laser-induced dd fusion reaction. Though many technical challenges will have to be overcome to convert this proof-of-principle experiment into a consistent ultra-high flux neutron source, the neutron fluxes achieved here suggest laser-driven neutron sources can support laboratory study of the rapid neutron-capture process, which is otherwise thought to occur only in astrophysical sites such as core-collapse supernova, and binary neutron star mergers.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphy.2022.964696/fulllaser-driven neutron sourcehigh-flux neutron sourcerapid neutron capture processlaboratory astro-nuclear physics experimentlaser-driven fusionlaser-driven ion source |
| spellingShingle | X. Jiao C. B. Curry C. B. Curry M. Gauthier H.-G. J. Chou H.-G. J. Chou F. Fiuza J. B. Kim D. D. Phan E. McCary E. C. Galtier G. M. Dyer B. K. Ofori-Okai L. Labun O. Z. Labun C. Schoenwaelder C. Schoenwaelder R. Roycroft G. Tiwari G. D. Glenn G. D. Glenn F. Treffert F. Treffert S. H. Glenzer B. M. Hegelich B. M. Hegelich High deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jet Frontiers in Physics laser-driven neutron source high-flux neutron source rapid neutron capture process laboratory astro-nuclear physics experiment laser-driven fusion laser-driven ion source |
| title | High deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jet |
| title_full | High deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jet |
| title_fullStr | High deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jet |
| title_full_unstemmed | High deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jet |
| title_short | High deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jet |
| title_sort | high deuteron and neutron yields from the interaction of a petawatt laser with a cryogenic deuterium jet |
| topic | laser-driven neutron source high-flux neutron source rapid neutron capture process laboratory astro-nuclear physics experiment laser-driven fusion laser-driven ion source |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphy.2022.964696/full |
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