Nanostructured surfaces for nuclear astrophysics studies in laser-plasmas

Altana, C.; Amarù, Vincenzo; Castro, G.; Frassetto, M.; Lanzalone, G.; Malferrari, L.; Muoio, A.; Odorici, F.; Tudisco, S.

doi:10.1051/epjconf/201716501002

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Therefore, the interaction of nanosecond (ns) lasers with solid targets is well suited to generate extreme plasma environments at energy levels higher than the normal range. At the LENS laboratory in Catania, Italy, nanowire targets made of different materials are irradiated by using an infrared laser with an intensity of 10 12 W/cm 2 , a pulse duration of 6 ns, and an energy of 2 J [44,45]. It was found that, in the nanowire form, nanostructures on the surface of the target can absorb laser energy with very high efficiency.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deuterium–deuterium fusion in nanowire plasma driven with a nanosecond high-energy laser

Xi,

Lv,

et al. 2023

Front. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Investigating the enhancement of the interaction between laser and plasma is crucial for fundamental and applied physics research studies based on laser-induced acceleration and nuclear reactions. The improvement of energy conversion efficiency resulting in increasing reaction yields has been extensively studied by the interaction of femtosecond (fs) or picosecond (ps) lasers with nanowire targets. However, the effects of nanosecond (ns) lasers interacting with nanowire targets on energy absorption and production yield remain unknown. To address this issue, we conducted a deuterium–deuterium fusion experiment based on the collision of two plasmas induced by the interaction of the kilo-Joule-level nanosecond laser with nanowire targets. The experimental results of neutron detection indicate that the yields of nanowire targets remain at the same level as those of planar targets. We have used the counter-streaming collisionless plasma model to perform a numerical analysis of the output of nuclear reaction products at the center-of-mass energy (Ec.m.) values between 10 and 30 keV, and the calculation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. In addition, a magneto-hydrodynamic numerical simulation was also performed. It shows that the critical density of the target’s surface, which forms on the picosecond time scale, blocks the absorption of laser energy with nanosecond pulse length. Consequently, both our experimental and simulation results indicate that the enhancement factor is limited when a target with a spatial period less than µm is used in conjunction with a ns laser. Therefore, additional research is highly desirable to develop a target structure that can improve the efficiency of energy conversion between the laser and the target.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deuterium–deuterium fusion in nanowire plasma driven with a nanosecond high-energy laser

Xi,

Lv,

et al. 2023

Front. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Ultra-intense femtosecond laser interactions with aligned nanostructures

Rocca,

Capeluto,

Hollinger

et al. 2024

Optica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The interaction of ultrafast laser pulses of relativistic intensity with high aspect ratio nanostructures can efficiently and volumetrically heat matter to an ultra-high-energy-density regime encountered in the center of stars and within the core of fusion capsules compressed by the world’s largest lasers. It also generates gigantic quasi-static electromagnetic fields that accelerate particles to very high energy. Here, we present an overview of the physics and applications of these dense relativistic plasmas that can be created with pulses of relatively modest energy from lasers that can operate at a high repetition rate. Recent nanowire array experiments produced near-solid density plasmas with an extreme degree of ionization (e.g., Au+72), converted ultrafast pulses of laser light into intense x-ray flashes with record efficiency, and accelerated ions to MeV energies, efficiently driving micro-scale fusion reactions that generate flashes of quasi-monoenergetic neutrons. These plasmas also serve as a platform for advancing the understanding of atomic processes in extreme environments and open a new pathway to laser-driven fusion energy. The irradiation of nanostructures at intensities of >1×1022Wcm−2 is predicted to lead to an extreme ultra-high energy density plasma regime characterized by terabar pressures that is virtually unexplored.

show abstract

Nanostructured surfaces for nuclear astrophysics studies in laser-plasmas

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

Deuterium–deuterium fusion in nanowire plasma driven with a nanosecond high-energy laser

Deuterium–deuterium fusion in nanowire plasma driven with a nanosecond high-energy laser

Ultra-intense femtosecond laser interactions with aligned nanostructures

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About