Compact ultrafast neutron sources via bulk acceleration of deuteron ions in an optical trap

Lei Zhiyu; Ma Hanghang; Zhang Xiaobo; Yu Lin; Zhang Yihang; Li Yutong; Weng Suming; Chen Min; Zhang Jie; Sheng Zhengming

doi:10.1063/5.0208901

Volume 9 Issue 5

Sep. 2024

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Lei Zhiyu, Ma Hanghang, Zhang Xiaobo, Yu Lin, Zhang Yihang, Li Yutong, Weng Suming, Chen Min, Zhang Jie, Sheng Zhengming. Compact ultrafast neutron sources via bulk acceleration of deuteron ions in an optical trap[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2024, 9(5): 057202. doi: 10.1063/5.0208901

Citation:

Lei Zhiyu, Ma Hanghang, Zhang Xiaobo, Yu Lin, Zhang Yihang, Li Yutong, Weng Suming, Chen Min, Zhang Jie, Sheng Zhengming. Compact ultrafast neutron sources via bulk acceleration of deuteron ions in an optical trap[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2024, 9(5): 057202. doi: 10.1063/5.0208901

Citation:

Lei Zhiyu, Ma Hanghang, Zhang Xiaobo, Yu Lin, Zhang Yihang, Li Yutong, Weng Suming, Chen Min, Zhang Jie, Sheng Zhengming. Compact ultrafast neutron sources via bulk acceleration of deuteron ions in an optical trap[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2024, 9(5): 057202. doi: 10.1063/5.0208901

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Compact ultrafast neutron sources via bulk acceleration of deuteron ions in an optical trap

doi: 10.1063/5.0208901

Lei Zhiyu^{1, 2
,},
Ma Hanghang^{1, 2, 3},
Zhang Xiaobo^{1, 2, 4},
Yu Lin^{1, 2},
Zhang Yihang^5
,,
Li Yutong^5
,,
Weng Suming^{1, 2
,},
Chen Min^{1, 2
,},
Zhang Jie^{1, 2, 3
,},
Sheng Zhengming^{1, 2, 3
,
,
,}

1.
Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas and School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
2.
Collaborative Innovation Centre of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
3.
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 201210, China
4.
College of Physics and Electronics Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
5.
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

More Information

Corresponding author: a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: zmsheng@sjtu.edu.cn
Received Date: 2024-03-18
Accepted Date: 2024-06-10

Available Online: 2024-09-01

Publish Date: 2024-09-01

Abstract

Abstract

A scheme for a quasi-monoenergetic high-flux neutron source with femtosecond duration and highly anisotropic angular distribution is proposed. This scheme is based on bulk acceleration of deuteron ions in an optical trap or density grating formed by two counter-propagating laser pulses at an intensity of ∼1016W/cm2 in a near-critical-density plasma. The deuterons are first pre-accelerated to an energy of tens of keV in the ambipolar fields formed in the optical trap. Their energy is boosted to the MeV level by another one or two laser pulses at an intensity of ∼1020W/cm2, enabling fusion reactions to be triggered with high efficiency. In contrast to previously proposed pitcher–catcher configurations, our scheme can provide spatially periodic acceleration structures and effective collisions between deuterons inside the whole target volume. Subsequently, neutrons are generated directly inside the optical trap. Our simulations show that neutron pulses with energy 2–8 MeV, yield 10¹⁸–10¹⁹n/s, and total number 10⁶–10⁷ in a duration ∼400 fs can be obtained with a 25 μm target. Moreover, the neutron pulses exhibit unique angularly dependent energy spectra and flux distributions, predominantly along the axis of the energy-boosting lasers. Such microsize femtosecond neutron pulses may find many applications, such as high-resolution fast neutron imaging and nuclear physics research.

The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
Conflict of Interest
Zhiyu Lei: Conceptualization (equal); Data curation (equal); Formal analysis (equal); Investigation (equal); Methodology (equal); Resources (equal); Software (equal); Visualization (lead); Writing – original draft (lead). Hanghang Ma: Formal analysis (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Xiaobo Zhang: Formal analysis (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Lin Yu: Formal analysis (equal). Yihang Zhang: Formal analysis (equal); Methodology (equal). Yutong Li: Writing – review & editing (equal). Suming Weng: Conceptualization (equal); Formal analysis (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Min Chen: Conceptualization (equal); Formal analysis (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Jie Zhang: Writing – review & editing (supporting). Zhengming Sheng: Conceptualization (equal); Funding acquisition (equal); Investigation (equal); Methodology (equal); Project administration (equal); Resources (equal); Supervision (equal); Writing – review & editing (lead).
Author Contributions
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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References(42)

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