Generation of α-Particle Beams With a Multi-kJ, Peta-Watt Class Laser System

D Margarone ,Yuki Abe,Shinsuke Fujioka,Marco Tosca,Yasuhiro Kuramitsu,Giada Petringa,Yuji Fukuda,Yasunobu Arikawa,E D’humières ,A Picciotto ,V Kantarelou ,Philippe Nicolaï ,D Raffestin ,G Korn ,L Giuffrida ,Giuseppe Antonio Pablo Cirrone ,A Morace ,J Bonvalet ,H Habara ,D Batani

doi:10.3389/fphy.2020.00343

Abstract

We present preliminary results on generation of energetic -particles driven by lasers. The experiment was performed at the Institute of Laser Engineering in Osaka using the short-pulse, high-intensity, high-energy, PW-class laser. The laser pulse was focused onto a thin plastic foil (pitcher) to generate a proton beam by the well-known TNSA mechanism which, in turn, was impinging onto a boron-nitride (BN) target (catcher) to generated alpha-particles as a result of proton-boron nuclear fusion events. Our results demonstrate generation of -particles with energies in the range 8-10 MeV and with a flux around 5 e9 sr-1.

Highlights

In recent years, the interaction of high intensity laser beams with solid targets has paved the way to the generation of bright sources of protons through the mechanisms of Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) [1], including recent achievements with the LFEX PW-laser [2, 3]
In our experiment we studied the possibility of using the highintensity, high-energy, PW-laser LFEX for generating highcurrent, high-energy α-particle beams through the proton-boron fusion (p-B) nuclear fusion reaction in two different geometries: (i) in-target, and (ii) beam-target nuclear fusion
The energy distribution of protons transmitted through the catcher was measured and demonstrated that a high number of protons (>1011 sr−1) accelerated from the pitcher is able to emerge from the catcher rear side with energies in the range of 0.5–2 MeV, i.e., in the region where the pB reaction cross section is maximized

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The interaction of high intensity laser beams with solid targets has paved the way to the generation of bright sources of protons (and different ion species) through the mechanisms of Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) [1], including recent achievements with the LFEX PW-laser [2, 3]. Laser driven acceleration of energetic He ions (α-particles) has remained mostly unexplored, with exception of experimental results related to investigation of alternative neutron-less fusion schemes, known as proton-boron fusion (p-B) reaction [4,5,6,7,8]:. In our experiment we studied the possibility of using the highintensity, high-energy, PW-laser LFEX for generating highcurrent, high-energy α-particle beams through the p-B nuclear fusion reaction in two different geometries: (i) in-target, and (ii) beam-target nuclear fusion. Both schemes were investigated by using a single-target and a pitcher-catcher setup, respectively. Further experimental results are being analyzed and will be presented in a more comprehensive article currently in preparation

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT