Advanced scheme for high-yield laser driven proton-boron fusion reaction

0455632 - FZÚ 2016 RIV US eng C - Conference Paper (international conference)
Margarone, Daniele - Picciotto, A. - Velyhan, Andriy - Krása, Josef - Kucharik, M. - Morrissey, Michael - Mangione, A. - Szydlowsky, A. - Malinowska, A. - Bertuccio, G. - Shi, Y. - Crivellari, M. - Ullschmied, Jiří - Bellutti, P. - Korn, Georg
Advanced scheme for high-yield laser driven proton-boron fusion reaction.
High Power Lasers for Fusion Research /3./. Bellingham: SPIE, 2015 - (Awwal, A.; Lane, M.), "93450F-1"-"93450F-8". Proceedings of SPIE, 9345. ISBN 978-1-62841-435-6. ISSN 0277-786X.
[Biennial Conference on High Power Lasers for Fusion Research /3./. San Francisco (US), 10.02.2015-12.02.2015]
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT ED1.1.00/02.0061; GA MŠMT EE2.3.20.0279
Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0061; LaserZdroj (OP VK 3)(XE) CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0279
Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389021
Keywords : proton-boron fusion * advanced targets * laser-induced nuclear reactions
Subject RIV: BF - Elementary Particles and High Energy Physics; BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers (UFP-V)

A low contrast nanosecond laser pulse with relatively low intensity (3 x 10(16) W cm(-2)) was used to enhance the yield of induced nuclear reactions in advanced solid targets. In particular the "ultraclean" proton-boron fusion reaction, producing energetic alpha-particles without neutron generation, was chosen. A spatially well-defined layer of boron dopants in a hydrogen-enriched silicon substrate was used as target. The combination of the specific target geometry and the laser pulse temporal shape allowed enhancing the yield of alpha-particles up to 10(9) per steradian, i.e 100 times higher than previous experimental achievements. Moreover the alpha particle stream presented a clearly peaked angular and energy distribution, which make this secondary source attractive for potential applications. This result can be ascribed to the interaction of the long laser pre-pulse with the target and to the optimal target geometry and composition.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0256261