Triple nuclear reactions (d, n) in laser-generated plasma from deuterated targets

Abstract

Measurements performed at Prague Asterix Laser System laboratory have permitted to study nuclear reactions in plasma produced by high intensity laser pulses (1016 W/cm2) accelerating high energetic ions. In particular, the laser irradiation of deuterated polyethylene (CD2) primary target, as thin foils, has produced the ion acceleration of C and D ions, and the presence of a thick LiD secondary target has produced nuclear reaction events due to the deuteron-deuteron, deuterons-lithium, and deuteron-carbon interactions. Fast and slow neutrons have been obtained mainly from the nuclear reactions 7Li(d, n)8Be, 2H(d, n)3He, and 12C(d, n)13N. Plasma monitoring and measurements of kinetic energies of produced particles in different directions were obtained using many detectors. The analyses were based on a semiconductor time-of-flight technique, an electric and magnetic ion deflection in a Thomson spectrometer, and ion track detectors. The maximum yields of neutrons produced in the used experimental conditions were evaluated to be about 4 × 108 and 3 × 108 neutrons/laser shot at energies of 14 MeV and 2.4 MeV, from the D-Li and D-D reactions, respectively, while the production of low energy neutrons from the third D-C reaction was negligible.