Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T17:06:02.941Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Overview of nuclear-pumped lasers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2009

George H. Miley
George H. Miley
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Fusion Studies Laboratory, Urbana, IL 61801
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The first demonstration of a nuclear-pumped laser (NPL) dates back to the mid-1970s while theoretical studies started earlier. This history will be briefly reviewed, followed by a discussion of the present status of various NPL concepts. Both physics and engineering issues are noted. Most attention has been given to gaseous media due to problems associated with radiation damage in liquid- and solid-state media. Various pumping methods, ranging from direct pumping of the laser medium to the use of nuclear-pumped flashlamps, will be discussed. Recent experimental results on pumping of O2(1Δ), the first demonstration of a nuclear-pumped flashlamp-driven laser XeBr*-I, and the new 3He-Ne-H2 NPL will be presented. Potential applications and corresponding NPL requirements, e.g., the long delay time requirements for an inertial fusion driver based upon NPLs, will be reviewed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , September 1993 , pp. 575 - 581
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Alford, W.J. & Hays, G.N. 1990 J. Appl. Phys., 65, 3760.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akerman, M.A. et al. 1977 Appl. Phys. Lett. 30, 409.Google Scholar
Balog, S. et al. 1989 Fusion Tech. 15, 383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, B.D. et al. 1980 Appl. Phys. Lett. 36, 115.Google Scholar
Carter, B.D. et al. 1981 J. Appl. Phys. 52, 6980.Google Scholar
Chung, A. & Prelas, M.A. 1983 In Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, IEEE Publication Number 83CH1847–3.Google Scholar
De Young, R.J. 1981 Appl. Phys. Lett. 38, 297.Google Scholar
De Young, R.J. et al. 1976 Appl. Phys. Lett. 28, 519.Google Scholar
De Young, R.J. et al. 1978 AIAA J. 16, 991.Google Scholar
De Young, R.J. et al. 1980 Appl. Phys. Lett. 37, 679.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ebert, P.J. et al. 1974 IEEE IQEC-8 (San Francisco, CA).Google Scholar
Elsayed-Ali, H.E. & Miley, G.H. 1984 IEEE J. Quantum Eng. 20, 977.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guyot, J.C. et al. 1972 Nucl. Sci. Eng. 48, 373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hassan, H.A. & Deese, J.E. 1976 Phys. Fluids 11, 2005.Google Scholar
Hays, G.N. et al. 1986 Appl. Phys. Lett. 49, 363.Google Scholar
Helmick, H.H. et al. 1975 Appl. Phys. Lett. 26, 327.Google Scholar
Herwig, L. 1964a Report C–110053–5 (United Aircraft Labs., East Hartford, CT).Google Scholar
Herwig, L. 1964b Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.. 7 131.Google Scholar
Lyons, P.B. et al. 1974 IEEE IQEC-8 (San Francisco, CA).Google Scholar
McArthur, D.A. et al. 1973 Appl. Phys. Lett. 23, 303.Google Scholar
McArthur, D.A. & Tollefsrud, P.B. 1975 Appl. Phys. Lett. 26, 187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McArthur, D.A. et al. 1977 Report SAND76–0584 (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM); reprinted November 1983.Google Scholar
McArthur, D.A. et al. 1988 In Laser Interaction and Related Plasma Phenomena, Vol. 8, Hora, H. and Miley, G., eds. (Plenum Press, New York), p. 75.Google Scholar
Miley, G.H. 1971 Direct Conversion of Nuclear Radiation Energy (American Nuclear Society and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Hinsdale, IL).Google Scholar
Miley, G. 1977 In Laser Interaction and Related Plasma Phenomena, Vol. 4a, Schwarz, H. and Hora, H., eds. (Plenum Press, New York), p. 181.Google Scholar
Miley, G.H. 1984a Atomkern./Kerntech. 45, 14.Google Scholar
Miley, G. 1984b In Laser Interactions and Related Plasma Phenomena Vol. 6, Hora, H. and Miley, G., eds. (Plenum Press, New York), p. 47.Google Scholar
Miley, G.H. 1989 Laser Part. Beams 7, 411.Google Scholar
Miley, G.H. 1992 In Proceedings Of The U.S.-Japan Seminar On Physics Of High Power Laser Matter Interactions, Kyoto, Japan.Google Scholar
Miley, G.H. et al. 1978 Bull. APS 24, 117.Google Scholar
Miley, G.H. & Williams, W.H. 1991 In Proceedings of the 7th Interdisciplinary Laser Science Conference, Monterey, CA.Google Scholar
Miley, G.H. et al. 1992 In Proceedings of the Nuclear Technologies for Space Exploration, Jackson, WY.Google Scholar
Minnema, D.M. & McArthur, D.A. 1986 In Proceedings of the Fast Burst Reactor Workshop, Albuquerque, NM, p. 57.Google Scholar
Minnema, D.M. & McArthur, D.A. 1987 Report SAND87–0098 (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM).Google Scholar
Moratz, T.J. et al. 1988 J. Appl. Phys. 64, 3799.Google Scholar
Nagalingam, S.J.S. & Miley, G.H. 1980 In Proceedings of the International Conference on Lasers '80, New Orleans, LA, p. 699.Google Scholar
Neal, D.R. et al. 1987 SPIE 832, 5256.Google Scholar
Neal, D.R. et al. 1989 SPIE 965 130.Google Scholar
Prelas, M.A. 1980 PhD Thesis (University of Illinois, Urbana, IL).Google Scholar
Prelas, M.A. et al. 1982 Nucl. Tech. Fusion 2, 143.Google Scholar
Prelas, M.A. et al. In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science, IEEE Publication 84CH1958–8, p. 38.Google Scholar
Prelas, M.A. et al. 1988 Laser Part. Beams 6, 25.Google Scholar
Rice, J.K. et al. 1987 In Proceedings of the International Conference on Lasers '86, (STS Press, McLean, VA), p. 571.Google Scholar
Schmidt, T.R. & McArthur, D.A. 1976 Report SAND76–0139 (Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM).Google Scholar
Schneider, R.T. & Hohl, F. 1984 In Advances in Nuclear Science and Technology, Lewins, J. & Becker, M., eds. (Plenum Publishing, New York), p. 123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scully, M.O. et al. 1988 In Laser Interaction and Related Plasma Phenomena, Vol. 8, Hora, H. and Miley, G., eds. (Plenum Press, New York), p. 105.Google Scholar
Shaban, Y.R. & Miley, G.H. 1992 In Proceedings of the U.S.-Japan Seminar on Physics of High Power Laser Matter Interactions, Kyoto, Japan.Google Scholar
Shaban, Y.R. & Miley, G.H. 1993 Laser Part. Beams 11, 559.Google Scholar
Soramoto, S.K. et al. 1991 Nucl. Instrum. Meth. in Phys. Res. 306, 524.Google Scholar
Thom, K. & Schneider, R.T. 1972 AIAA J. 10, 400.Google Scholar
Voinov, A.M. et al. 1979 Sov. Phys. Dokl. 24, 189.Google Scholar
Wang, B. & Miley, G.H. 1973 Nucl. Sci. Eng. 52, 130.Google Scholar
Wessol, D.E. et al. 1988 In Laser Interaction and Related Plasma Phenomena, Vol. 8, Hora, H. and Miley, G., eds. (Plenum Press, New York), p. 27.Google Scholar
Williams, W.H. 1992 PhD Thesis (University of Illinois, Urbana, IL).Google Scholar
Williams, W.H. & Miley, G.H. 1992 In Proceedings of the Specialist Conference on Physics of Nuclear Induced Plasmas and Problems of Nuclear Pumped Lasers (NPL-92) (Obninsk, Russia).Google Scholar