Efficient initiation of photonuclear reactions using quasimonoenergetic electron beams from laser wakefield acceleration

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2787159· OSTI ID:21062109

Reed, S A; Chvykov, V; Kalintchenko, G; Matsuoka, T; Yanovsky, V; Vane, C R; Beene, J R; Stracener, D; Schultz, D R; Maksimchuk, A ^[1]

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1. FOCUS Center and Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

Pulses of nearly monoenergetic relativistic electrons have been generated by laser wakefield acceleration and used to perform photonuclear activation of carbon, copper, and photofission in uranium. Using bremsstrahlung converter targets, the electron beams generated by this technique have been shown to be effective in producing high energy {gamma}-rays (tens of MeV) that are necessary to efficiently induce photonuclear reactions. Quantitative {gamma}-ray spectroscopy of the irradiated C, Cu, and U samples indicates that more than 10{sup 5} reactions were produced per joule of laser energy. The activation yield measurements have been compared with Monte Carlo modeling of electromagnetic cascade and photonuclear processes occurring in the targets to infer the characteristics of the laser accelerated electron beams.

• OSTI ID: 21062109
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 102; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CARBON
COPPER
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
GAMMA RADIATION
GAMMA SPECTRA
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
IRRADIATION
LASERS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NUCLEAR CASCADES
PHOTOFISSION
PHOTON-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS
PULSES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SIMULATION
URANIUM