Optimization of the Yield of Low-Threshold Nuclear Reactions under Action of Protons Accelerated Using Terawatt Femtosecond Laser

• Published in: Bulletin of the Lebedev Physics Institute 2023-08, Vol.50 (Suppl 2), p.S194-S203
• Main Authors: Skibina, V. M., Savel’ev, A. B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Effect of Laser Radiation on Matter. Laser Plasma; Lasers; Neutron beams; Nuclear reactions; Optimization; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Protons; Thermonuclear reactions
• ISSN: 1068-3356; 1934-838X
• DOI: 10.3103/S1068335623140142

The paper consider the possibility to execute nuclear reactions nuclear reactions with low energy threshold by means of terawatt femtosecond laser systems, exemplified by the 11 B( p , α)2α and 7 Li( p , n ) 7 Be reactions used for neutronless thermonuclear synthesis and production of neutron beams. On the basis of the literature data on the dependences of the average energy and cutoff energy in the spectrum of laser-accelerated protons on the intensity of laser radiation and laser pulse energy, the estimate of the anticipated number of registered events depending on the laser without emission intensity is obtained in the intensity range achievable for compact tabletop laser systems of terawatt power level. It is shown that the optimal intensities for observing the considered reactions lie in the range (1–5) × 10 19 W/cm 2 , whereas the total number of secondary particles per 1 TW of peak power can reach 10 6 and 10 8 for the 11 B( p , α)2α and 7 Li( p , n ) 7 Be reactions, respectively.