Foil Targets Research Articles

Characterization of a Nb-Pb composite target

A thin Nb target on a Pb backing was fabricated using the rolling technique. In the present work, the characterization of the sample has been carried out using various techniques to study the surface morphology, crystallography, elemental analysis, thickness and electrical conductivity useful for the intended use of the target prepared. The thin Nb target was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rutherford back-scattering spectroscopy (RBS) techniques. The uniform and smooth surface of the sample was confirmed by SEM imaging. The presence of oxygen in the EDS spectra and peaks corresponding to crystal planes of PbO2 in the XRD spectrum confirms the oxidation of Pb foil. The XRD spectrum shows clear peaks corresponding to (011), (002), (112) crystal planes of pure Nb. The thickness of the thin Nb foil measured using the RBS techniques was found to be 0.8 mg/cm2. The current(I)-voltage(V) curve (relationship between the current flowing through an electronic device and the applied voltage across its terminals) at room temperature for the Pb and Nb/Pb foils was plotted and showed linear relationship between applied voltage and current flowing through the target foil. The measured electrical conductivity indicates an enhancement of 35.9 % for Nb/Pb foil relative to the conductivity measured for the Pb foil.

Isolated attosecond pulse generation from the interaction of intense laser pulse with solid density plasma

This article gives an overview on recent progress in the generation of isolated attosecond pulse and isolated half-cycle attosecond pulse. As an isolated attosecond pulse is preferred in the pump-probe experiments for the dynamics of electrons in atom, molecule, or solid, we focus on the isolated attosecond pulses generation from the intense laser pulses interaction with solid density plasma, which have higher intensity and narrower pulse width than that generated in the interaction of laser pulse with gas target. We have firstly discussed the physical mechanism of isolated attosecond pulse generation, such as polarization gating, two-color laser pulses, attosecond light houses, and capacitor target mechanism. In the polarization gating mechanism, we have discussed the physical mechanism that the higher-order harmonic efficiency decreases with the increase of ellipticity. Both the coherent synchrotron radiation mechanism and the relativistic oscillation mechanism can control the intensity of high-order harmonic generation by controlling ellipticity of the incident laser pulse. We also discussed other mechanism to enhance the isolated attosecond pulse bursts in detail. Secondly, we focus on the isolated half-cycle attosecond pulses, which can also be generated from the intense laser pulses interaction with solid density plasma by double foil target mechanism, gas-foil target mechanism, cascaded generation mechanism, microstructured target mechanism, and three-color laser pulse mechanism. The half-cycle attosecond pulses can be useful for probing ultrafast electron dynamics in matter via asymmetric manipulation. Accordingly we discussed the physcial mechanism, experimental feasibility, calibration measurement, and application prospect of half-cycle attosecond pulse in this article. The above mechanism can directly generate ultra-intense isolated attosecond pulses in the transmission direction without requiring extra filters and gating techniques. The dense electron sheet is crucial for the generation of intense attosecond pulses in different mechanisms, such as coherent wake emission (CWE), relativistic oscillating mirror (ROM) and coherent synchrotron emission (CSE). In this article, all the mechanism for half-cycle attosecond pulses generation can ensure only one electron sheet contributing to the transmitted radiation. We discuss the theoretical model of nanobunching of the electron sheet, which shows that the relativistic oscillation is crucial for the formation of electron sheet.

Current advances on Talbot-Lau x-ray imaging diagnostics for high energy density experiments (invited).

Talbot-Lau x-ray interferometry is a refraction-based diagnostic that can map electron density gradients through phase-contrast methods. The Talbot-Lau x-ray deflectometry (TXD) diagnostics have been deployed in several high energy density experiments. To improve diagnostic performance, a monochromatic TXD was implemented on the Multi-Tera Watt (MTW) laser using 8keV multilayer mirrors (Δθ/θ = 4.5%-5.6%). Copper foil and wire targets were irradiated at 1014-1015 W/cm2. Laser pulse length (∼10 to 80ps) and backlighter target configurations were explored in the context of Moiré fringe contrast and spatial resolution. Foil and wire targets delivered increased contrast <30%. The best spatial resolution (<6μm) was measured for foils irradiated 80° from the surface. Further TXD diagnostic capability enhancement was achieved through the development of advanced data postprocessing tools. The Talbot Interferometry Analysis (TIA) code enabled x-ray refraction measurements from the MTW monochromatic TXD. Additionally, phase, attenuation, and dark-field maps of an ablating x-pinch load were retrieved through TXD. The images show a dense wire core of ∼60μm diameter surrounded by low-density material of ∼40μm thickness with an outer diameter ratio of ∼2.3. Attenuation at 8keV was measured at ∼20% for the dense core and ∼10% for the low-density material. Instrumental and experimental limitations for monochromatic TXD diagnostics are presented. Enhanced postprocessing capabilities enabled by TIA are demonstrated in the context of high-intensity laser and pulsed power experimental data analysis. Significant advances in TXD diagnostic capabilities are presented. These results inform future diagnostic technique upgrades that will improve the accuracy of plasma characterization through TXD.

Characteristics of laminar ion beams accelerated via a few-joule laser pulse

Laser-driven carbon ion beams from a carbon foil target via a 2.5-J laser pulse are investigated with three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. An ion bunch with a narrow energy range exhibits a thin shell shape with a certain diameter. The ion cloud has a layered structure of these ion bunches with different energies. The divergences of the ion bunch in the laser inclination direction and perpendicular to it are different in an oblique incidence laser. In addition, theoretical formulas for the radius of the generated ion beam and the energy spectrum are derived, and they are shown to be in good agreement with the simulation results.

Accurate determination of the electron spin polarization in magnetized iron and nickel foils for Møller polarimetry

The Møller polarimeter in Hall A at Jefferson Lab in Newport News, VA, has provided reliable measurements of electron beam polarization for the past two decades. Past experiments have typically required polarimetry at the 1% level of absolute uncertainty which the Møller polarimeter has delivered. However, the upcoming proposed experimental program including MOLLER and SoLID have stringent requirements on beam polarimetry precision at the level of 0.4% (The MOLLER Collaboration, 2014; The SoLID collaboration, 2019), requiring a systematic re-examination of all the contributing uncertainties.Møller polarimetry uses the double polarized scattering asymmetry of a polarized electron beam on a target with polarized atomic electrons. The target is a ferromagnetic material magnetized to align the spins in a given direction. In Hall A, the target is a pure iron foil aligned perpendicular to the beam and magnetized out of plane parallel or antiparallel to the beam direction. The acceptance of the detector is engineered to collect scattered electrons close to 90° in the center of mass frame where the analyzing power is a maximum (-7/9).One of the leading systematic errors comes from determination of the target foil polarization. Polarization of a magnetically saturated target foil requires knowledge of both the saturation magnetization and g′, the electron g-factor which includes components from both spin and orbital angular momentum from which the spin fraction of magnetization is determined. Target foil polarization has been previously addressed in a 1997 publication “A precise target for Møller polarimetry” by de Bever et al. (1997) at a level of precision sufficient for experiments up to this point. Several shortcomings with the previous published value require revisiting the result prior to MOLLER. This paper utilizes the existing world data to provide a best estimate for target polarization for both nickel and iron foils including uncertainties in magnetization, high-field and temperature dependence, and fractional contribution to magnetization from orbital effects. We determine the foil electron spin polarization at 294 K to be 0.08020 ± 0.00018 (@4 T applied field) for iron and 0.018845±0.000053 (@2 T applied field) for nickel. We conclude with a brief discussion of additional systematic uncertainties to Møller polarimetry using this technique.

Hot electron and x-ray generation by sub-ns kJ-class laser-produced tantalum plasma

This paper presents experimental investigation of temperature scaling and threshold of instability in hot electron and bremsstrahlung radiation from the interaction of sub-nanosecond and kilo-joule class laser pulses with a tantalum foil target at Prague Asterix Laser System. The laser intensity was varied between and W · cm−2 at the target focus. The energy distribution functions of electrons were measured by an angular array of magnetic spectrometers indicating the electron temperature in the range between 30 keV and 70 keV. The bremsstrahlung spectrum was characterized using a scintillator-based calorimeter. In particular, we show the laser-energy scaling of the total flux of hot electrons in the forward and backward directions with respect to the laser vector, the conversion efficiency of the laser energy to the energy carried by hot electrons, and the temperature of hot electrons as well as the unfolded bremsstrahlung temperature using a Monte Carlo code consistent with signals of the scintillator detector. The scaling shows that the electron flux increases discontinuously with increasing laser intensity from W · cm−2 with consequent instability in the production of hot electrons and bremsstrahlung radiation.

Evaluation of heat removal performance of a sealed Li target for an accelerator-driven neutron source of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy at Nagoya University

An accelerator-driven neutron source has been developed in Nagoya University for boron neutron capture therapy using a new concept of thick lithium (Li) target in which protons are stopped in a Li layer. A sealed Li target developed consists of a Li sheet placed on a copper (Cu) base plate equipped with water-cooled channels and a titanium (Ti) foil seal to cover Li surface. The proton beam injected into the target is produced through the proton–Dynamitron accelerator (IBA) with a maximum energy of 2.8 MeV and a current of 15 mA. The results of our previous study confirmed that the target was not damaged when irradiated with an acceleration energy of 1.8 MeV and a current of 0.5 mA (heat input of 4.6 MW/m2). To keep the soundness of the target up to 6–7 MW/m2, it is considered to be essential to improve the bonding between the Ti foil and Li interface, which will contribute the heat removal. It was suggested from our previous experiences that the bonding property may be improved by forming a Cu–Li alloy at the Ti–Li interface. In this paper, we evaluate the heat removal performance of a sealed Li target with Cu–Li alloy formation to improve the target durability. The sealed Li target was produced using a “Cu-coated pure Ti foil”, in which Cu was deposited on the surface of a Ti foil with a thickness of 0.2μm. The use of Cu-coated pure Ti foil actively forms Cu–Li alloys at the Ti–Li interface. For comparison, sealed Li targets were produced with pure Ti foil, and irradiation tests were conducted on each target. The heat removal performance was evaluated by electron beam irradiation using the active cooling teststand 2 (ACT2), a high heat flux test facility, and proton beam irradiation using the Dynamitron accelerator. We obtain a result that the Cu-coated pure Ti foil-sealed Li target has a heat removal capacity of 11 MW/m2, about five times higher than that of the pure Ti foil-sealed Li target. This confirmed that the Cu–Li alloy contributed to the improvement of the heat removal performance. For the proton beam irradiation test, a Cu-coated pure Ti foil target was produced and irradiated for 26 h at an acceleration energy of 1.8 MeV and an average current of 3.5 mA, where no neutrons were generated. The tests confirmed that the Cu-coated pure Ti foil target could withstand 26 h of irradiation at a heat input of 9.0 MW/m2. About anticipated degradation of the heat removal performance due to stopping the protons in the Li layer, no change was observed during this long irradiation test, in which 2.15 × 1024 protons were injected into the Li layer. Although further long-time irradiation test will be needed in the future, at present we have confirmed that there is no problem with stopping protons in the Li layer.

High order modes of intense second harmonic light produced from a plasma aperture

Because of their ability to sustain extremely high-amplitude electromagnetic fields and transient density and field profiles, plasma optical components are being developed to amplify, compress, and condition high-power laser pulses. We recently demonstrated the potential to use a relativistic plasma aperture—produced during the interaction of a high-power laser pulse with an ultrathin foil target—to tailor the spatiotemporal properties of the intense fundamental and second-harmonic light generated [Duff et al., Sci. Rep. 10, 105 (2020)]. Herein, we explore numerically the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a preformed aperture target to generate second-harmonic laser light with higher-order spatial modes. The maximum generation efficiency is found for an aperture diameter close to the full width at half maximum of the laser focus and for a micrometer-scale target thickness. The spatial mode generated is shown to depend strongly on the polarization of the drive laser pulse, which enables changing between a linearly polarized TEM01 mode and a circularly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian LG01 mode. This demonstrates the use of a plasma aperture to generate intense higher-frequency light with selectable spatial mode structure.

Anion exchange and extraction chromatography tandem column isolation of zirconium-89 (89Zr) from cyclotron bombarded targets using an automated fluidic platform

The long-lived positron emitter 89Zr is a highly promising nuclide employed in diagnostic Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. Methods of radiochemical processing to obtain 89Zr for clinical use are traditionally performed with a single hydroxamate resin column. Herein, we present a tandem column purification method for the preparation of high-purity 89Zr from cyclotron bombarded natural Y metal foils. The primary column is a macroporous, strongly basic anion exchange resin on styrene divinylbenzene co-polymer. The secondary microcolumn, with an internal volume of 33 μL, is packed with an extraction chromatography resin (ExCR) loaded with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP). A condition of “inverted selectivity” is presented, wherein the 89Zr elution from the primary column is synonymous with the load condition on the secondary column. The ability to transfer 89Zr from one column to the next allows two sequential purification steps to be performed prior to the final elution of the 89Zr product. This approach assures delivery of high purity 89Zr. The tandem column purification process has been implemented into a prototype automated fluidic system. Optimization of the method is presented, followed by evaluation of the process using seven cyclotron bombarded Y metal foil targets. Once optimized, we found that 93.7 ± 2.3% of the 89Zr present in the foils was recovered in the secondary column elution fraction (0.8 M oxalic acid). Radiochromatograms of the product elution peaks enabled determination of full width at half-maximum (FWHM) and 89Zr collection yields as a function of volume. Because of the small size of the secondary microcolumn, a 89Zr product volume of ∼0.28 mL is reported, which provides a substantially increased nuclide concentration over traditional methods. Finally, we evaluated the transchelation of the resulting 89Zr oxalate product to deferoxamine mesylate (DFOM) salt. We observed effective specific activities (ESA) and bindable metals concentrations ([MB]) that exceed those reported by the traditional single hydroxamate column method.

Dense Polarized Positrons from Laser-Irradiated Foil Targets in the QED Regime.

Many works have shown that dense positrons can be effectively generated from laser-solid interactions in the strong-field quantum electrodynamics (QED) regime. Whether these positrons are polarized has not yet been reported, limiting their potential applications. Here, by polarized QED particle-in-cell simulations including electron-positron spin and photon polarization effects, we investigate a typical laser-solid setup that an ultraintense linearly polarized laser irradiates a foil target with micrometer-scale-length preplasmas. We find that once the positron yield becomes appreciable with the laser intensity exceeding 10^{24} W/cm^{2}, the positrons are obviously polarized. Around 30nC positrons can acquire >30% polarization degree with a flux of 10^{12} sr^{-1}. The angle-dependent polarization is attributed to the asymmetrical laser fields that positrons undergo near the skin layer of overdense plasmas, where radiative spin flip and radiation reaction play significant roles. The polarization mechanism is robust and could generally appear in future 100-PW-class laser-solid experiments.

High Performance Lithium Metal Anode with a Nanolayer of LiZn Alloy for All‐Solid‐State Batteries

AbstractAll‐solid‐state batteries (ASSB) require stable and safe lithium (Li) metal anode, which needs surface preparation to increase lithium diffusion and impede the formation of dendrites. In this work, the formation of a thin LiZn layer on lithium metal using sputter deposition is reported. This method was selected due to the absence of solvents and by‐products generated during the modification, for its rapidity and because the formation of the alloy is performed in a clean and controlled atmosphere. Zinc has been chosen for its low cost and high Li+ ion diffusion coefficient of the corresponding LiZn alloy that is 1000 times higher than Li. Different parameters for the Zn deposition were investigated such as the distance between the Zn target and Li foil, the effect of substrate tilt and the direct current applied to the target. Electrochemical performance of LiFePO4/solid polymer electrolyte/Li ASSB demonstrated the superiority of the LiZn anodes and the clear influence of deposition parameters on the durability and performance at high C‐rates. Scanning electron microscopy images of the cross‐sectional view of LFP/SPE/Li stackings extracted from pouch cells after cycling showed an evident migration of Zn into the bulk Li metal anode as well as the formation of AlZn nanoparticles.

Efficient ion acceleration by multistaged intense short laser pulses

We present a computational study of laser-driven ion acceleration that optimizes a combination of target transparency and extended field acceleration at moderate relativistic intensity. Our scheme applies two sequential laser pulses irradiating a thin target foil along the same direction: The first pulse drives a rapid expansion of the target, while the second one drives a quasistatic electric field in the expanding target with increasing electron temperature. In our particle-in-cell simulations we observe proton peak energies and numbers enhanced by factors of up to 3 compared with regular target-normal sheath acceleration.Received 6 October 2020Accepted 4 May 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.L032003Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasHigh-energy-density plasmasLaser driven ion accelerationAccelerators & BeamsPlasma PhysicsParticles & Fields

Three-Dimensional Particle-in-Cell Analysis of Mechanical Design Tolerances of the Scorpius Injector With Warp

This article examines the mechanical design tolerances for the Scorpius injector using a 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC) code. In order to meet its objective as a high-fidelity, multipulse flash X-ray source, the accelerator has requirements for the electron beam in order to minimize the spot size of the beam focused onto a foil target to create high fluence X-rays at energies greater than 10 MeV. The requirements for alignment of the cathode, anode beam pipe, focusing solenoids, and transport solenoids specified using Trak and AMBER are independently verified using a 3-D electrostatic/magnetostatic model of the Scorpius injector, including transverse magnetic field errors that arise from mechanical alignment errors. It is predicted that the injector will meet the performance requirements for radiographic operation and has a design margin to correct for potentially unforeseen operating conditions.

A laser parameter study on enhancing proton generation from microtube foil targets

The interaction of an intense laser with a solid foil target can drive sim TV/m electric fields, accelerating ions to MeV energies. In this study, we experimentally observe that structured targets can dramatically enhance proton acceleration in the target normal sheath acceleration regime. At the Texas Petawatt Laser facility, we compared proton acceleration from a 1, {upmu }hbox {m} flat Ag foil, to a fixed microtube structure 3D printed on the front side of the same foil type. A pulse length (140–450 fs) and intensity ((4–10) times 10^{20} W/cm^2) study found an optimum laser configuration (140 fs, 4 times 10^{20} W/cm^2), in which microtube targets increase the proton cutoff energy by 50% and the yield of highly energetic protons (>10 MeV) by a factor of 8times. When the laser intensity reaches 10^{21} W/cm^2, the prepulse shutters the microtubes with an overcritical plasma, damping their performance. 2D particle-in-cell simulations are performed, with and without the preplasma profile imported, to better understand the coupling of laser energy to the microtube targets. The simulations are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results, and show that the prepulse is necessary to account for when the laser intensity is sufficiently high.

Influence of surface roughness on the transient interfacial phenomena in laser impact welding

Presented is an investigation into laser impact welding (LIW) wherein experimentally measured surface profiles of the flyer and target foils are incorporated to study their effects on the transient physical phenomena that occur during this rapid, collision-based joining process. During LIW, thermal response, plastic strains, and shear stresses evolve over a sub-microsecond timescale, which necessitates the use of computational modeling to predict the influence that surface roughness has on the material response and resulting joint morphology. White light interferometry is used to experimentally characterize the surface profiles of an aluminum 1100 flyer foil and a stainless steel 304 target foil. The profiles are mapped to material volumes within a plane strain, thermomechanical simulation employing an Eulerian framework. A spatially and temporally varying laser-induced plasma pressure is applied to the flyer foil, and the resulting transient phenomena are analyzed at timeframes ranging from initial contact through complete weld formation. To reveal effects of the rough foil surfaces, results from the same computational model using smooth foil surfaces are also obtained. When the rough surface profiles are included, it is found that significant differences in the thermal response and plastic strains are observed, and these differences are hypothesized to arise from the effects of discontinuous surface contact along the collision path. The incorporation of rough surface asperities also reveals two distinct regions prior to the weld initiation point; the first where elastic rebound occurs at a negligible collision angle, leaving interfacial voids, and the second where superficial shear deformation flattens the surfaces without mutual ablation and jetting. The work represents the first study in which measured surface profiles of the flyer and target foils are incorporated into a computational model of laser impact welding.

Simulation and Experimental Study on Jet Velocity of Zr-Based Amorphous Alloy Liner

Zr-based amorphous alloy is a new energetic material that has been closely monitored and extensively studied for the design of highly effective shaped charge warheads in recent years. In order to accurately determine the motion parameters of shaped charge jets during the detonation-driven formation process of Zr-based amorphous alloy liners, we prepared conical ZrCuNiAlAg liners by vacuum die casting and supercooled liquid high-rheological-rate formation processes. Based on jet-formation numerical simulation, pulsed X-ray imaging and copper foil target velocity measuring tests were conducted to identify the variation trend of the jet velocity of Zr-based amorphous alloy liners with time. The jet velocities at typical moments in the free flight stage were verified. The research results showed that Zr-based amorphous alloy liners could produce solid jets, whose velocity was in gradient descent from the head to the tail, and that the jet’s head velocity peaked at 12 μs and then slowly decreased with time. The average velocities measured by the X-ray imaging and copper foil target tests were 6913 m/s and 7177 m/s, respectively, and both of them were in good agreement with the simulation results, verifying the accuracy of the numerical simulation model for jet formation. The formation processes of shaped charge liners were found to affect the mechanical properties of the material and thus, the jet’s formation process and motion parameters. The Zr-based amorphous alloy liner formed by the supercooled liquid-phase high-rheological-rate formation process exhibited a jet velocity 6.5% higher than that formed by the vacuum die casting process.

Transport of an intense proton beam from a cone-structured target through plastic foam with unique proton source modeling.

Laser-accelerated proton beams are applicable to several research areas within high-energy density science, including warm dense matter generation, proton radiography, and inertial confinement fusion, which all involve transport of the beam through matter. We report on experimental measurements of intense proton beam transport through plastic foam blocks. The intense proton beam was accelerated by the 10ps,700J OMEGA EP laser irradiating a curved foil target, and focused by an attached hollow cone. The protons then entered the foam block of density 0.38g/cm^{3} and thickness 0.55 or 1.00mm. At the rear of the foam block, a Cu layer revealed the cross sectionof the intense beam via proton- and hot electron-induced Cu-K_{α} emission. Images of x-ray emission show a bright spot on the rear Cu film indicative of a forward-directed beam without major breakup. 2D fluid-PIC simulations of the transport were conducted using a unique multi-injection source model incorporating energy-dependent beam divergence. Along with postprocessed calculations of the Cu-K_{α} emission profile, simulations showed that protons retain their ballistic transport through the foam and are able to heat the foam up to several keV in temperature. The total experimental emission profile for the 1.0mm foam agrees qualitatively with the simulated profile, suggesting that the protons indeed retain their beamlike qualities.

Numerical investigation elucidating effects of microstructure on the transient thermomechanical phenomena during laser impact welding

Transient thermomechanical phenomena such as extreme plastic strains and temperature spikes that occur during laser impact welding are impractical to experimentally observe given the sub-microsecond duration of the joining process. Thus, computational models are necessary to study in-situ behavior along the weld interface. While researchers have utilized computational models for such investigations, this work elucidates the specific influence of microstructure-level modeling that captures the associated inhomogeneity/anisotropic effects at smaller scales. An aluminum 1100-H19 flyer and a stainless steel 304-O target foil are modeled using an Eulerian framework to simulate cases with and without microstructure consideration during laser impact welding of dissimilar metallic foils. When considering microstructure modeling, variations in flow stress reveal intermittently elevated temperatures along the weld interface due to concentrations of shock pressure at relatively small grains; however, they are not found to be a significant source of instability initiating or influencing the joint formation. Grain refinement and material hardening are suggested within a 10 μm-thick zone of the flyer near the weld interface, while severe plastic deformation in the target indicates possible martensitic phase transformation. Grain boundary sliding driven by variations in yield surfaces among individual grains gives rise to relatively higher collision velocity. Consequently, higher plastic strain rates along with greater amounts of plastic heat dissipation at the interface result in increased material jetting at higher temperatures. Alternating transient shear stresses are predicted in each model, though the inhomogeneous model predicts the brief appearance of a concentrated shear zone in the rebound region which is not seen in the homogeneous model. This work illuminates correlations between microstructure and transient phenomena during laser impact welding of dissimilar metallic foils, thus demonstrating a numerical modeling approach extensible to numerous other impact welding processes that complete within a very short time span.

Preparation of isotopically enriched 112,116,120,124Sn targets at VECC

Resistive heating and mechanical rolling methods have been employed to prepare isotopically enriched thin target foils of 116Sn (∼380 μg/cm2), 124Sn (∼400 μg/cm2) and thicker foils of 112Sn (∼1.7 mg/cm2), 120Sn (∼1.6 mg/cm2), respectively. Preparation of enriched targets with a small amount of material, selection of releasing agent for thin targets and separation of deposited material in solvent were among the several challenges during fabrication of the thin targets. The uniformity of the targets has been measured using 241Am α-source. NaCl has been used as releasing agent in preparation of the thin targets. These targets have been successfully used in nuclear physics experiments at VECC.

Fabrication and characterization of thin [formula omitted]Gd targets for nuclear fusion reaction studies

Thin isotopically enriched 156,158Gd target foils of thickness between ≈100–150μg/cm2 have been fabricated. The target foils were prepared on carbon backing to provide extra support using the physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. The fabricated target foils have been used to study the dynamics of heavy-ion induced fusion reactions using the Heavy Ion Reaction Analyser (HIRA) facility at IUAC New-Delhi, India. Due to the high melting point, the e-gun method was adopted to deposition carbon and gadolinium. During fabrication, the challenges were (i) minimal isotopic material, (ii) selection of the parting agent, and (iii) the floating process for separating the gadolinium film from the glass slides. In view of this, the first several attempts have been made with natural gadolinium oxide material to optimize specific parameters. Finally, using only ≈38 mg isotopically enriched material for each isotope, eight 156Gd and twenty 158Gd targets were prepared successfully. The nobleness of this work is that the gadolinium material was in oxide form, which provides extra stability to the fabricated targets even in the atmospheric environment. Further, various characterization techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), and Rutherford Back-scattering Spectroscopy (RBS), have been explored to investigate surface morphology, elemental purity, chemical composition, and thickness of the target foils. The characterizations and analysis of experimental data manifested that no such impurities were present in the fabricated target foils. Essentially, it has been observed that the fabricated thin 156,158Gd target foils survived against the heavy-ion (28,30Si) irradiation throughout the online fusion experiment.