Generation of Mie size microdroplet aerosols with applications in laser-driven fusion experiments

Journal Article · Mon Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3155302· OSTI ID:22053583

Higginbotham, A P; Semonin, O; Bruce, S; Chan, C; Maindi, M; Donnelly, T D ^[1]; Maurer, M; Bang, W; Churina, I; Osterholz, J; Kim, I; Bernstein, A C; Ditmire, T ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California 91711 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, Texas Center for High Intensity Laser Science, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78701 (United States)

We have developed a tunable source of Mie scale microdroplet aerosols that can be used for the generation of energetic ions. To demonstrate this potential, a terawatt Ti:Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} laser focused to 2x10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2} was used to irradiate heavy water (D{sub 2}O) aerosols composed of micron-scale droplets. Energetic deuterium ions, which were generated in the laser-droplet interaction, produced deuterium-deuterium fusion with approximately 2x10{sup 3} fusion neutrons measured per joule of incident laser energy.

• OSTI ID: 22053583
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 80; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
AEROSOLS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
DEUTERIUM
DEUTERIUM IONS
DROPLETS
HEAVY WATER
LASER RADIATION
NEUTRONS
TAIL IONS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS