Neutron production from interactions of high-intensity ultrashort pulse laser with a planar deuterated polyethylene target

摘要

The deuteron acceleration from a planar uniform deuterated polyethylene (CD2) target was studied with a two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell method in the ultrarelativistic regime for peak laser intensities between 10(23) and 10(25) W/m(2). Under identical conditions the deuteron energy and angular distributions are very different when compared to that produced from a double-layer target. The neutron production from D(d,n)-He-3 nuclear fusion reactions was also investigated with a three-dimensional Monte Carlo ion beam-target deposition model. The neutron yield and its angular distribution were studied as a function of peak laser intensity and laser pulse duration. A neutron yield of 10(4)-10(6) neutrons per Joule laser energy is inferred from simulations of a 4 mu m thick planar uniform CD2 target. The angular scattering of neutrons is found to be nonisotropic and has a significant component in the forward (laser propagation) direction. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.