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Title: Target electron collision effects on energy loss straggling of protons in an electron gas at any degeneracy

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to describe the effects of target electron collisions on proton energy loss straggling in plasmas at any degeneracy. Targets are considered fully ionized so electronic energy loss is only due to the free electrons. The analysis is focused on targets with electronic density around solid values n{sub e}{approx_equal}10{sup 23} cm{sup -3} and with temperature around T{approx_equal}10 eV; these targets are in the limit of weakly coupled electron gases. These types of plasma targets have not been studied extensively, though they are very important for inertial confinement fusion. The energy loss straggling is obtained from an exact quantum-mechanical evaluation, which takes into account the degeneracy of the target plasma, and later it is compared with common classical and degenerate approximations. Then electron collisions in the exact quantum-mechanical straggling calculation are considered. Now the energy loss straggling is enhanced for energies smaller than the energy before the maximum, then decreases around this maximum, and finally tends to the same values with respect to noncollisional calculation. Differences with the same results but not taking into account these collisions are as far as 17% in the cases analyzed. As an example, proton range distributions have been calculatedmore » to show the importance of an accurate energy straggling calculation.« less

Authors:
 [1]
  1. E.T.S.I. Industriales, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, E-13071 Ciudad Real (Spain)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21106182
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 15; Journal Issue: 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2888525; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ELECTRON COLLISIONS; ELECTRON GAS; ELECTRONS; ENERGY LOSSES; INERTIAL CONFINEMENT; PLASMA; PROTONS; QUANTUM MECHANICS

Citation Formats

Barriga-Carrasco, Manuel D. Target electron collision effects on energy loss straggling of protons in an electron gas at any degeneracy. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.1063/1.2888525.
Barriga-Carrasco, Manuel D. Target electron collision effects on energy loss straggling of protons in an electron gas at any degeneracy. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2888525
Barriga-Carrasco, Manuel D. 2008. "Target electron collision effects on energy loss straggling of protons in an electron gas at any degeneracy". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2888525.
@article{osti_21106182,
title = {Target electron collision effects on energy loss straggling of protons in an electron gas at any degeneracy},
author = {Barriga-Carrasco, Manuel D},
abstractNote = {The purpose of the present paper is to describe the effects of target electron collisions on proton energy loss straggling in plasmas at any degeneracy. Targets are considered fully ionized so electronic energy loss is only due to the free electrons. The analysis is focused on targets with electronic density around solid values n{sub e}{approx_equal}10{sup 23} cm{sup -3} and with temperature around T{approx_equal}10 eV; these targets are in the limit of weakly coupled electron gases. These types of plasma targets have not been studied extensively, though they are very important for inertial confinement fusion. The energy loss straggling is obtained from an exact quantum-mechanical evaluation, which takes into account the degeneracy of the target plasma, and later it is compared with common classical and degenerate approximations. Then electron collisions in the exact quantum-mechanical straggling calculation are considered. Now the energy loss straggling is enhanced for energies smaller than the energy before the maximum, then decreases around this maximum, and finally tends to the same values with respect to noncollisional calculation. Differences with the same results but not taking into account these collisions are as far as 17% in the cases analyzed. As an example, proton range distributions have been calculated to show the importance of an accurate energy straggling calculation.},
doi = {10.1063/1.2888525},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21106182}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 3,
volume = 15,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008},
month = {Sat Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008}
}