Alignment of swift cluster ions in high-energy-density plasma

Abstract

Unusual position exchange among ions constituting a swift cluster was found in a high-energy-density plasma. In this paper, the peculiar ion behavior appears in a Si cluster, moving with a speed of ~0.2c (c: speed of light) in a solid Al plasma in the context of the cluster-ion beam driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF). The ion position exchange behavior of cluster ions may influence the cluster-ion beam ICF (CIF) target structure design. In this paper we discuss a possibility of cluster-ion beams as the energy driver in CIF. In conclusions, the present work suggests that the following two points in CIF: (1) The unusual ion position exchange of the cluster ions would not induce a remarkable change in the ion stopping range in CIF targets, and (2) the swift cluster ions may not provide a significant vicinage effect on the stopping range.