Effect of laser spot size on fusion neutron yield in laser--deuterium cluster interactions

The effect of the laser spot size on the neutron yield of table-top nuclear fusion from explosions of a femtosecond intense laser pulse heated deuterium clusters is investigated by using a simplified model, in which the cluster size distribution and the energy attenuation of the laser as it propagates through the cluster jet are taken into account. It has been found that there exists a proper laser spot size for the maximum fusion neutron yield for a given laser pulse and a specific deuterium gas cluster jet. The proper spot size, which is dependent on the laser parameters and the cluster jet parameters, has been calculated and compared with the available experimental data. A reasonable agreement between the calculated results and the published experimental results is found.     

Coulomb expansion of deuterated methane clusters irradiated by an ultrashort intense laser pulse

The simulations of three-dimensional particle dynamics show that when irradiated by an ultrashort intense laser pulse, the deuterated methane cluster expands and the majority of deuterons overrun the more slowly expanding carbon ions, resulting in the creation of two separated subelusters. The enhanced deuteron kinetic energy and a narrow peak around the energy maximum in the deuteron energy distribution make a considerable contribution to the efficiency of nuclear fusion compared with the ease of homonuelear deuterium clusters. With the intense laser irradiation, the nuclear fusion yield increases with the increase of the cluster size, so that deuterated heteronuelear clusters with larger sizes are required to achieve a greater neutron yield.     

Deuterium Clusters Fusion Induced by the Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulse

Neutrons （2.45MeV） from deuterium cluster fusion induced by the intense femtosecond （3Ors） laser pulse are experimentally demonstrated. The average neutron yield 103 per shot is obtained. It is found that the yield slightly increases with the increasing laser spot size. No neutron can be observed when the laser intensity I 〈 4.3 × 10^15 W/cm^2.     

Nuclear fusion from Coulomb explosions of deuterated methane clusters subjected to ultraintense femtosecond laser pulses

This paper reports that Coulomb explosions taken place in the experiment of heteronuclear deuterated methane clusters ((CD₄)₂) in a gas jet subjected to intense femtosecond laser pulses (170mJ, 70fs) have led to table-top laser driven DD nuclear fusion. The clusters produced in supersonic expansion had an average size of about 5nm in radius and the laser intensity used was 3×10¹⁷W/cm².The measured maximum and average energies of deuterons produced in the laser--cluster interaction were 60 and 13.5keV, respectively. From DD collisions of energetic deuterons, a yield of 2.5(±0.4)×10⁴ fusion neutrons of 2.45MeV per shot was realized, giving rise to a neutron production efficiency of about 1.5×10⁵ per joule of incident laser pulse energy. Theoretical calculations were performed and a fairly good agreement of the calculated neutron yield with that obtained from the present experiment was found.     

超强超短脉冲激光诱发大尺度氘团簇聚变

 利用低温脉冲气阀获得了平均含有3×103氘原子的氘团簇。在飞秒激光装置上实现了氘团簇聚变,每发中子产额为1×10³。中子产额对激光功率密度敏感,保持激光能量不变,随着激光焦斑的变大,DD聚变中子产额逐渐增加,最大值出现在激光焦斑为470 mm时;继续增大激光焦斑,没有观察到中子信号。实验结果还表明激光氘团簇聚变发生的区域主要是激光辐照的等离子体热区,此区域内邻近氘团簇库仑爆炸发射的高能氘离子碰撞引发聚变反应。     

氘代乙烷团簇库仑爆炸产生高能氘核和中子的研究

采用简化库仑爆炸模型对强激光脉冲照射氘代乙烷团簇发生的库仑爆炸过程进行数值模拟,研究了氘代乙烷团簇爆炸产生的氘核动能、中子产额与团簇尺寸的关系,且与氘代甲烷团簇产生的氘核动能及中子产额进行了比较.研究表明,尺寸为5 nm的氘代乙烷团簇在发生库仑爆炸后氘核的最大动能为20.96 keV,获得的中子产额为6.31×105,比同尺寸氘代甲烷团簇产生的氘核最大动能及中子产额更大.因此相对于氘代甲烷团簇,大尺寸的氘代乙烷团簇更适合作为激光驱动团簇库仑爆炸获得高额中子的靶材,这与报道的实验推论相一致.     

Thermonuclear fusion in a strong laser field

Thermonuclear fusion induced by the irradiation of solid deuterated cluster targets and foils with fields of strong femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses is discussed. The thermonuclear-fusion process D(d, n)³He in a collision of two deuterons at an energy of 50 to 100 keV in a deuterium cluster target irradiated with a strong laser pulse is discussed. A theory of thermonuclear fusion proceeding upon the irradiation of clusters formed by deuterium iodide (DI) molecules with the field of a superintense femtosecond laser pulse is developed. This theory is based on an above-barrier process in which the sequential multiple inner ionization of atomic ions within a cluster is accompanied by field-induced outer ionization. The yield of neutrons from thermonuclear fusion in a deuteron-deuteron collision after the completion of a laser pulse is calculated. The yield of neutrons is determined for the thermonuclear-fusion reaction proceeding in the interaction of an intense picosecond laser pulse with thin TiD₂ foils. A multiple ionization of titanium atoms at the front edge of the laser pulse is considered. The heating of free electron occurs in induced inverse bremsstrahlung in the process of electron scattering on multiply charged titanium ions. The yield of alpha particles in the thermonuclear-fusion reaction involving protons and ¹¹B nuclei that is induced in microdrops by a strong laser field is determined. Experimental data on laser-induced thermonuclear fusion are discussed.     

Nuclear fusion driven by coulomb explosions of large deuterium clusters

Recent experiments on the interaction of intense, ultrafast laser pulses with large van der Waals bonded clusters have shown that these clusters can explode with substantial kinetic energy. By driving explosions in deuterium clusters with a 35 fs laser pulse, we have accelerated ions to sufficient kinetic energy to produce DD nuclear fusion. By diagnosing the fusion yield through measurements of 2.45 MeV fusion neutrons, we have found that the fusion yield from these exploding clusters varies strongly with the cluster size, consistent with acceleration of deuterons via Coulomb explosion forces.     

利用气泡探测器测量激光快中子

在利用超强激光驱动中子源的研究和应用研究中,中子源的产额及其角分布至关重要.我们在星光Ⅲ号激光装置上采用气泡探测器对强激光驱动的中子源的产额及其角分布进行了测量.利用超强皮秒激光与碳氘薄膜靶相互作用产生高能氘离子束撞击次级碳氘靶,通过氘-氘核反应产生准单能快中子.实验发现中子束的发射具有一定的方向性,在入射氘离子的传输方向上中子束具有更高的强度,测量得到的中子束最大强度为5.13×10⁷ n/sr.利用实验测量的氘离子能谱和角分布对中子束角分布进行了理论计算,结果与实验测量基本一致.     

Generation of neutrons at the relaxation of fast deuterons in deuterium matter

We analyze the fusion process involving two deuterium nuclei in the case of deceleration of a fast deuteron with an energy of approximately 100 keV located in a deuterium target. We calculate the probability ω _fus(ε) of generating a neutron by a fast deuteron with an initial kinetic energy ε during its deceleration. The mean free path of fast deuterons with respect to their relaxation is found for various deuterium targets. The data are analyzed for neutron generation in deuterium cluster beams under laser irradiation. The method of neutron generation in the collision of two deuterium cluster beams is suggested. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

超声喷流氩氢混合团簇特性研究

利用瑞利散射方法研究了超声喷流Ar-CH4混合团簇和超声喷流Ar-H2混合团簇的特性.通过测量不同混合比例和不同背压下所形成混合团簇的散射信号发现,当用Ar气和CH4的混合气体进行超声喷流时很容易形成Ar-CH4混合团簇,当Ar气含量为50%时混合团簇尺度最大且大于相同气压下纯Ar团簇尺度和纯CH4团簇尺度.实验发现,与纯H2团簇只能在低温条件下获得不同,常温下即可形成Ar-H2混合团簇,实现了常温下含氢团簇的获取,从而有效降低了制备成本.在H2含量大于40%时混合团簇开始形成并在60%时达到最大尺度.含氢(氘)混合团簇在氢(氘)团簇的基础上引入了更重的异核Ar元素,在激光氘团簇聚变实验中它将进一步加速氘离子从而获得更高的能量,并具有更高的中子产额和聚变效率.     

Relativistic Electron Acceleration in a Wake Field Generated by the Intense Femtosecond Laser Interaction with a Mixture Jet of Deuterium Clusters and Molecules

High energy electron acceleration in a wake field generated in the intense ultrashort （30fs） laser pulse cluster gas jet interaction is experimentally demonstrated. Relativistic electrons with energy of 60 MeV were observed. These high energy electrons split into two beams due to the relativistic self-focusing of the laser.     

SILEX-I装置上激光-团簇聚变实验中子产额测量

 超短超强脉冲激光与CD4团簇相互作用可以产生高能量的氘离子,从而产生DD聚变中子,这种团簇聚变中子源有着非常广阔的应用前景。在SILEX-I 100 TW飞秒激光装置上,超短超强脉冲激光与CD₄团簇相互作用实现了DD核聚变。团簇聚变的中子产额是实验中最为重要的物理量,在实验中采用高灵敏的中子探测器对团簇聚变产生的中子进行了测量,在现有实验条件下测得中子产额为10³。     

Interaction of intense laser pulses with hydrogen atomic clusters

The interaction between intense femtosecond laser pulses and hydrogen atomic clusters is studied by a simplified Coulomb explosion model. The dependences of average proton kinetic energy on cluster size, pulse duration, laser intensity and wavelength are studied respectively. The calculated results indicate that the irradiation of a femtosecond laser of longer wavelength on hydrogen atomic clusters may be a simple, economical way to produce highly kinetic hydrogen ions. The phenomenon suggests that the irradiation of femtosecond laser of longer wavelength on deuterium atomic clusters may be easier than that of shorter wavelength to drive nuclear fusion reactions. The product of the laser intensity and the squared laser wavelength needed to make proton energy saturated as a function of the squared cluster radius is also investigated. The proton energy distribution calculated is also shown and compared with the experimental data. Our results are in agreement with the experimental results fairly well.     

D-D neutron yield in the 125 J dense plasma focus Nanofocus

We present here a very small transportable dense plasma focus with 125 J of energy able to be used mainly as an intense fast neutron source. The aim of this work was to design, construct and experimentally study a very compact nuclear fusion apparatus, at the lower energy limit, useful for multiple applications, such as soil humidity measurements, inspection of several materials metallic inclusions, medical neutron-therapies, etc. Besides, the possibility of using the same device as X-rays emitter has been explored. In a narrow range of deuterium filling pressure around 1 mbar, peaked Rogowski dips are observed. Correspondingly, strong neutron and hard X-ray pulses are measured. The neutron pulses last, in average, 50 ns, being about 10⁶ the amount of neutrons per pulse. The performance of this device has shown to be higher than any other plasma focus apparatus, compar ed on the empirical scaling law of neutron yield vs. pinch current.Received: 29 April 2003, Published online: 5 August 2003PACS: 52.58.Lq Z-pinches, plasma focus and other pinch devices - 52.70.Ds Electric and magnetic measurements - 52.70.Nc Particle measurements     

Self-focusing, channel formation, and high-energy ion generation in interaction of an intense short laser pulse with a He jet

Using interferometry, we investigate the dynamics of interaction of a relativistically intense 4-TW, 400-fs laser pulse with a He gas jet. We observe a stable plasma channel 1 mm long and less than 30 microm in diameter, with a radial gradient of electron density approximately 5 x 10(22) cm(-4) and with an on-axis electron density approximately ten times less than its maximum value of 8 x 10(19) cm(-3). A high radial velocity of the surrounding gas ionization of approximately 3.8 x 10(8) cm/s has been observed after the channel formation, and it is attributed to the fast ions expelled from the laser channel and propagating radially outward. We developed a kinetic model which describes the plasma channel formation and the subsequent ambient gas excitation and ionization. Comparing the model predictions with the interferometric data, we reconstructed the axial profile of laser channel and on-axis laser intensity. The estimated maximum energy of accelerated ions is about 500 keV, and the total energy of the fast ions is 5% of the laser pulse energy.     

Heating of deuterium clusters by a superatomic ultra-short laser pulse

The mechanisms of heating of the electronic component of large deuterium clusters by a super-atomic ultra-short laser pulse field are considered. During pulse rise, the so-called “vacuum heating” plays the determining role. Electrons escaping from a cluster into the vacuum with a low energy return back in a time equal to the period of the laser under laser field action. The returning electrons have a higher energy (on the order of the vibrational energy in the laser radiation field), which causes cluster heating. As the laser field increases, the electronic temperature largely grows at the expense of decreasing the Coulomb potential energy of electron repulsion because of a decrease in the number of electrons. The dynamics of above-barrier cluster ionization at the leading edge of a superatomic laser pulse is calculated. The results are discussed in the light of recent experiments aimed at creating desktop sources of monoenergetic neutrons formed as a result of the fusion of deuterium nuclei in a cluster plasma.     

Characterization of fusion burn time in exploding deuterium cluster plasmas

Exploiting the energetic interaction of intense femtosecond laser pulses with deuterium clusters, it is possible to create conditions in which nuclear fusion results from explosions of these clusters. We have conducted high-resolution neutron time-of-flight spectroscopy on these plasmas and show that they yield fast bursts of nearly monochromatic fusion neutrons with temporal duration as short as a few hundred picoseconds. Such a short, nearly pointlike source now opens up the unique possibility of using these bright neutron pulses, either as a pump or a probe, to conduct ultrafast studies with neutrons.     

强激光场中氘团簇的离子能谱与团簇尺度

在SILEX-Ⅰ装置上进行了超短超强激光与氘团簇相互作用的实验。采用法拉第筒测量了激光与氘团簇靶相互作用后发射出的氘离子能谱,并根据氘离子能谱计算出氘团簇的尺寸和分布。由于激光预脉冲的影响,得到了团簇的尺度比瑞利散射测量的结果小。这些结果对团簇源制备系统的改进和优化激光打靶有着重要的参考意义,而且可以为团簇尺度的测量提供一种新的方法。