Neutron production from interactions of high-intensity ultrashort pulse laser with a planar deuterated polyethylene target

Journal Article · Tue Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2956996· OSTI ID:21268992

Petrov, G M; Davis, J ^[1]

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1. Naval Research Laboratory, Plasma Physics Division, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20375 (United States)

The deuteron acceleration from a planar uniform deuterated polyethylene (CD{sub 2}) target was studied with a two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell method in the ultrarelativistic regime for peak laser intensities between 10{sup 23} and 10{sup 25} W/m{sup 2}. Under identical conditions the deuteron energy and angular distributions are very different when compared to that produced from a double-layer target. The neutron production from D(d,n)-{sup 3}He nuclear fusion reactions was also investigated with a three-dimensional Monte Carlo ion beam-target deposition model. The neutron yield and its angular distribution were studied as a function of peak laser intensity and laser pulse duration. A neutron yield of 10{sup 4}-10{sup 6} neutrons per Joule laser energy is inferred from simulations of a 4 {mu}m thick planar uniform CD{sub 2} target. The angular scattering of neutrons is found to be nonisotropic and has a significant component in the forward (laser propagation) direction.

• OSTI ID: 21268992
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 15; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
DEUTERONS
ION BEAM TARGETS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NEUTRONS
POLYETHYLENES
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS