Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Neutron production from Li-7(d,xn) nuclear fusion reactions driven by high-intensity laser-target interactions
AU - Davis, J.
AU - Petrov, G. M.
AU - Petrova, Tz
AU - Willingale, L.
AU - Maksimchuk, A.
AU - Krushelnick, K.
PY - 2010/4
Y1 - 2010/4
N2 - Numerical simulations of neutron production from deuterium-lithium nuclear fusion reactions have been performed. A set of differential cross sections for the Li-7(d,xn) reaction for incident deuteron energies of up to 50MeV is assembled. The angular distribution of neutrons from a thick lithium target is simulated and benchmarked against experimental data. Two-stage neutron production from laser-target experiments has been studied as a function of laser intensity and energy. During the first stage a well collimated deuteron beam is generated using a high-intensity ultrashort pulse laser. During the second stage it is transported through a lithium target using a 3D Monte-Carlo ion beam-target deposition model. The neutron yield is estimated to be similar to 10(8) neutrons J(-1) laser energy. Some 10(10) neutrons can be expected from a similar to 100 J petawatt-class laser. For incident deuteron energies above 1 MeV the proposed scheme for neutron production from d-Li reactions is superior to that from d-d reactions, producing a collimated beam of neutrons with higher neutron yield.
AB - Numerical simulations of neutron production from deuterium-lithium nuclear fusion reactions have been performed. A set of differential cross sections for the Li-7(d,xn) reaction for incident deuteron energies of up to 50MeV is assembled. The angular distribution of neutrons from a thick lithium target is simulated and benchmarked against experimental data. Two-stage neutron production from laser-target experiments has been studied as a function of laser intensity and energy. During the first stage a well collimated deuteron beam is generated using a high-intensity ultrashort pulse laser. During the second stage it is transported through a lithium target using a 3D Monte-Carlo ion beam-target deposition model. The neutron yield is estimated to be similar to 10(8) neutrons J(-1) laser energy. Some 10(10) neutrons can be expected from a similar to 100 J petawatt-class laser. For incident deuteron energies above 1 MeV the proposed scheme for neutron production from d-Li reactions is superior to that from d-d reactions, producing a collimated beam of neutrons with higher neutron yield.
KW - CROSS-SECTION DATA
KW - DEUTERONS
KW - EMISSION
KW - SPECTRA
KW - THICK
KW - LI
KW - YIELDS
KW - PULSE
U2 - 10.1088/0741-3335/52/4/045015
DO - 10.1088/0741-3335/52/4/045015
M3 - Journal article
VL - 52
JO - Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
JF - Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
SN - 0741-3335
IS - 4
M1 - 045015
ER -