Promising lines of research in the realms of laboratory nuclear astrophysics by means of powerful lasers

Basic nuclear-astrophysics problems that can be studied under laboratory conditions at a laserradiation intensity of 10¹⁸ W/cm² or more are specified. These are the lithium problem, the problem of determining neutron sources for s-processes of heavy-element formation, the formation of bypassed stable p-nuclei, and nuclear reactions involving isotopes used by astronomers for diagnostics purposes. The results of experiments at the Neodym laser facility are presented, and proposals for further studies in these realms are formulated.     

Nuclear fusion induced by a super-intense ultrashort laser pulse in a deuterated glass aerogel

A SiO₂ aerogel with absorbed deuterium is proposed as a target for the fusion reaction d + d → He³ + n induced by a superintense ultrashort laser pulse. The multiple inner ionization of oxygen and silicon atoms in the aerogel skeleton occurs in the superintense laser field. All the formed free electrons are heated and removed from the aerogel skeleton by the laser field at the front edge of the laser pulse. The subsequent Coulomb explosion of the deuterated charged aerogel skeleton propels the deuterium ions up to kinetic energies of ten keV and higher. The neutron yield is estimated at up to 10⁵ neutrons per laser pulse for ～200–500 ps if the peak intensity is 10¹⁸ W/cm² and the pulse duration is 35 fs.     

Simultaneous Investigation of the Nuclear Reactions $${}^{11}$$ B $$\boldsymbol{(p,3\alpha)}$$ and $${}^{11}$$ B $$\boldsymbol{(p,n)^{11}}$$ C as a New Tool for Determining the Absolute Yield of Alpha Particles in Picosecond Plasmas

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - The results of experimental investigations devoted to initiating the promising nuclear fusion reaction $${}^{11}$$ B $$(p,3\alpha)$$ in picosecond laser plasmas at a...