Neutron yield enhancement in laser-induced deuterium-deuterium fusion using a novel shaped target

J R Zhao; X P Zhang; D W Yuan; L M Chen; Y T Li; C B Fu; Y J Rhee; F Li; B J Zhu; Yan F Li; G Q Liao; K Zhang; B Han; C Liu; K Huang; Y Ma; Yi F Li; J Xiong; X G Huang; S Z Fu; J Q Zhu; G Zhao; J Zhang

doi:10.1063/1.4922912

Neutron yield enhancement in laser-induced deuterium-deuterium fusion using a novel shaped target

Rev Sci Instrum. 2015 Jun;86(6):063505. doi: 10.1063/1.4922912.

Authors

J R Zhao¹, X P Zhang², D W Yuan³, L M Chen¹, Y T Li¹, C B Fu², Y J Rhee⁴, F Li¹, B J Zhu¹, Yan F Li¹, G Q Liao¹, K Zhang³, B Han³, C Liu⁵, K Huang¹, Y Ma¹, Yi F Li¹, J Xiong⁶, X G Huang⁶, S Z Fu⁶, J Q Zhu⁷, G Zhao³, J Zhang⁸

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Optical Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China.
² Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics (INPAC), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Beijing 100012, China.
⁴ Nuclear Data Center, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institution, Daejon 305353, Korea.
⁵ Department of Astronomy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
⁶ Shanghai Institute of Laser Plasma, Shanghai 201800, China.
⁷ National Laboratory on High Power Lasers and Physics, Shanghai 201800, China.
⁸ Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.

PMID: 26133837
DOI: 10.1063/1.4922912

Abstract

Neutron yields have direct correlation with the energy of incident deuterons in experiments of laser deuterated target interaction [Roth et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 044802 (2013) and Higginson et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 100703 (2011)], while deuterated plasma density is also an important parameter. Experiments at the Shenguang II laser facility have produced neutrons with energy of 2.45 MeV using d (d, n) He reaction. Deuterated foil target and K-shaped target were employed to study the influence of plasma density on neutron yields. Neutron yield generated by K-shaped target (nearly 10(6)) was two times higher than by foil target because the K-shaped target results in higher density plasma. Interferometry and multi hydro-dynamics simulation confirmed the importance of plasma density for enhancement of neutron yields.