Ultrafast high-energy dynamics of thin spherical shells of light ions in the Coulomb explosion of heteroclusters

Journal Article · Wed Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review. A

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.71.063204· OSTI ID:20717932

Last, Isidore; Jortner, Joshua ^[1]

---

1. School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel)

Severe deviations from uniform Coulomb explosion can be manifested for extremely ionized molecular heteroclusters, due to kinematic effects. We established unique features of the spatial distribution, energetics, and time-resolved dynamics in Coulomb explosion of multicharged light-heavy heteroclusters, consisting of light, low-charge and heavy, high-charge, ions, e.g., hydroiodic acid (H{sup +}I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +}){sub n} and its isotopic substituents (D{sup +}I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +}){sub n} and (T{sup +}I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +}){sub n}, where extreme multielectron ionization in ultraintense laser fields (peak intensity I=10{sup 17}-10{sup 20} W cm{sup -2}) results in q{sub I}=25 at I=10{sup 19} and q{sub I}=35 at I=10{sup 20} W cm{sup -2}. Electrostatic models and simulations, based on the cluster vertical ionization (CVI) initial conditions for Coulomb explosion of (D{sup +}I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +}){sub 2171} and (H{sup +}I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +}){sub 2171} ions with q{sub I}=25 (corresponding to I=10{sup 19} W cm{sup -2}), reveal expanding, thin, two-dimensional spherical shells of the light D{sup +} or H{sup +} ions, with the monolayer expansion occurring on the femtosecond time scale. Under initial CVI conditions the model and the simulation results for the formation of femtosecond expanding nanoshells of light ions were confirmed by complete simulations involving both electron and nuclear dynamics in (HI){sub 2171} and (DI){sub 2171} clusters subjected to a Gaussian laser pulse with I=10{sup 19} W cm{sup -2}. The energetic data for the light ions reveal high energies with a narrow energy distribution, e.g., average energy E{sub av}=23 keV at width {delta}E/E{sub av}=0.16 for Coulomb explosion of (D{sup +}I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +}){sub 2171} clusters. These dynamic, structural and energetic data for light-heavy (A{sup +}I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +}){sub n} heteroclusters (A=H, D, and T) arise from kinematic overrun effects of the A{sup +} ions. Finally, we address the implications of these Coulomb explosion results of (D{sup +}I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +}){sub n} heteroclusters for dd nuclear fusion driven by heterocluster Coulomb explosion, where the extremely charged I{sup q}{sub I}{sup +} ions serve as most effective energetic and kinematic triggers for driving the expanding D{sup +} ions.

• OSTI ID: 20717932
• Journal Information: Physical Review. A, Vol. 71, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.71.063204; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
DEUTERIUM COMPOUNDS
DEUTERIUM IONS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY SPECTRA
HYDROGEN IONS 1 PLUS
IONIZATION
ISOTOPE EFFECTS
KEV RANGE
LASER RADIATION
MOLECULAR CLUSTERS
PHOTON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
PULSES
SIMULATION
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
TIME RESOLUTION
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS