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Title: CR-39 track detector calibration for H, He, and C ions from 0.1-0.5 MeV up to 5 MeV for laser-induced nuclear fusion product identification

Abstract

Laser-accelerated ion beams can be used in many applications and, especially, to initiate nuclear reactions out of thermal equilibrium. We have experimentally studied aneutronic fusion reactions induced by protons accelerated by the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration mechanism, colliding with a boron target. Such experiments require a rigorous method to identify the reaction products (alpha particles) collected in detectors among a few other ion species such as protons or carbon ions, for example. CR-39 track detectors are widely used because they are mostly sensitive to ions and their efficiency is near 100%. We present a complete calibration of CR-39 track detector for protons, alpha particles, and carbon ions. We give measurements of their track diameters for energy ranging from hundreds of keV to a few MeV and for etching times between 1 and 8 h. We used these results to identify alpha particles in our experiments on proton-boron fusion reactions initiated by laser-accelerated protons. We show that their number clearly increases when the boron fuel is preformed in a plasma state.

Authors:
;  [1]; ;  [2];  [1]; ;  [3]; ;  [4];  [5]
  1. LULI, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, 91128 Palaiseau (France)
  2. CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France)
  3. ENEA for EUROfusion, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Rome) (Italy)
  4. Université Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, CELIA (Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications), UMR 5107, F-33405 Talence (France)
  5. Department of Physics, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0081 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22482733
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Review of Scientific Instruments
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 86; Journal Issue: 8; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0034-6748
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; ALPHA PARTICLES; CALIBRATION; CARBON IONS; DIELECTRIC TRACK DETECTORS; HEAVY ION FUSION REACTIONS; ION BEAMS; LASERS; MEV RANGE 01-10; PARTICLE TRACKS; PROTONS; THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS

Citation Formats

Baccou, C., E-mail: claire.baccou@polytechnique.edu, Yahia, V., Labaune, C., Depierreux, S., Neuville, C., Goyon, C., CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, Consoli, F., De Angelis, R., Ducret, J. E., Boutoux, G., and Rafelski, J. CR-39 track detector calibration for H, He, and C ions from 0.1-0.5 MeV up to 5 MeV for laser-induced nuclear fusion product identification. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4927684.
Baccou, C., E-mail: claire.baccou@polytechnique.edu, Yahia, V., Labaune, C., Depierreux, S., Neuville, C., Goyon, C., CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, Consoli, F., De Angelis, R., Ducret, J. E., Boutoux, G., & Rafelski, J. CR-39 track detector calibration for H, He, and C ions from 0.1-0.5 MeV up to 5 MeV for laser-induced nuclear fusion product identification. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4927684
Baccou, C., E-mail: claire.baccou@polytechnique.edu, Yahia, V., Labaune, C., Depierreux, S., Neuville, C., Goyon, C., CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, Consoli, F., De Angelis, R., Ducret, J. E., Boutoux, G., and Rafelski, J. 2015. "CR-39 track detector calibration for H, He, and C ions from 0.1-0.5 MeV up to 5 MeV for laser-induced nuclear fusion product identification". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4927684.
@article{osti_22482733,
title = {CR-39 track detector calibration for H, He, and C ions from 0.1-0.5 MeV up to 5 MeV for laser-induced nuclear fusion product identification},
author = {Baccou, C., E-mail: claire.baccou@polytechnique.edu and Yahia, V. and Labaune, C. and Depierreux, S. and Neuville, C. and Goyon, C. and CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon and Consoli, F. and De Angelis, R. and Ducret, J. E. and Boutoux, G. and Rafelski, J.},
abstractNote = {Laser-accelerated ion beams can be used in many applications and, especially, to initiate nuclear reactions out of thermal equilibrium. We have experimentally studied aneutronic fusion reactions induced by protons accelerated by the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration mechanism, colliding with a boron target. Such experiments require a rigorous method to identify the reaction products (alpha particles) collected in detectors among a few other ion species such as protons or carbon ions, for example. CR-39 track detectors are widely used because they are mostly sensitive to ions and their efficiency is near 100%. We present a complete calibration of CR-39 track detector for protons, alpha particles, and carbon ions. We give measurements of their track diameters for energy ranging from hundreds of keV to a few MeV and for etching times between 1 and 8 h. We used these results to identify alpha particles in our experiments on proton-boron fusion reactions initiated by laser-accelerated protons. We show that their number clearly increases when the boron fuel is preformed in a plasma state.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4927684},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22482733}, journal = {Review of Scientific Instruments},
issn = {0034-6748},
number = 8,
volume = 86,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Sat Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}