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Observation of repetitive bursts in emission of fast ions and neutrons in sub-nanosecond laser-solid experiments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 June 2013

J. Krása ,
D. Klír ,
A. Velyhan ,
D. Margarone ,
E. Krouský ,
K. Jungwirth ,
J. Skála ,
M. Pfeifer ,
J. Kravárik  and
P. Kubeš
...Show all authors
J. Krása*
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic
D. Klír
Affiliation:
Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
A. Velyhan
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic
D. Margarone
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic
E. Krouský
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic
K. Jungwirth
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic
J. Skála
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic
M. Pfeifer
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic
J. Kravárik
Affiliation:
Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
P. Kubeš
Affiliation:
Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
K. Řezáč
Affiliation:
Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
J. Ullschmied
Affiliation:
Institute of Plasma Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: J. Krása, Institute of Physics AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

A massive deuterated polyethylene target was exposed to laser intensities of about 3 × 1016 W/cm2 employing the 3-TW Prague Asterix Laser System (PALS). We achieved a yield of 2 × 108 neutrons per laser shot. Average time-of-flight signals of scintillation detectors operated in current mode reveal broad energy spectra of fusion neutrons with dominating energy of about 2.45 MeV. The energy dependence of the neutron yield shows a consistency in results of nanosecond, picosecond and sub-picosecond experiments. Here we also show that ions emitted in the backward direction from the front target surface have a multi-peak energy spectrum, which is caused by burst emission mechanisms.

Keywords

Laser-plasma interactionsNeutron yield scalingBursts in ion emission
Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 31 , Issue 3 , September 2013 , pp. 395 - 401
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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References

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