Generation of a controllable TNSA deuteron beam using deuterated metal targets

Abstract

This study investigated the feasibility of using deuterated titanium targets for the generation of a target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) deuteron beam. Commercial 25-μm-thick titanium foil was cut into 500 × 500-μm2 squares and subsequently deuterated using different approaches. The spectra and total yields of all emitted ions were measured using a Thomson parabola ion spectrometer. It was found that a 24-h exposure to 1 atm of D2 gas at 400 °C is the most-efficient deuteration method, producing yields in the mid-1011 deuterons per shot. The deuteron energy spectra changed from an exponential shape at low ion yields to exponentially modified Gaussians at higher yields. Simulations suggest that this effect is due to increased Coulomb interactions between the ions, which suppress the low energies. Separate campaigns will utilize the presented approach to produce a TNSA triton beam. Two such targets will be used in a pitcher/catcher configuration to study the tritium–tritium reaction T(t, 2n)α.