https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2008-00005-7
A plasma channel scheme for the interaction of an intense femtosecond laser pulse with a deuterium cluster jet
State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201800, Shanghai, China
Corresponding authors: a gqni@mail.shcnc.ac.cn - b zzxu@mail.shcnc.ac.cn
Received:
28
May
2007
Revised:
11
October
2007
Published online:
11
January
2008
We propose a plasma channel scheme to obtain an improved table-top laser driven fusion neutron yield as a result of explosions of large deuterium clusters irradiated by an intense laser pulse. A cylindrical plasma channel is created by two moderate intensity laser prepulses at the edge of a deuterium cluster jet along which an intense main laser pulse propagates several nanoseconds later. With the aid of this plasma channel, the main laser pulse will be allowed to deposit its energy into the central region of the deuterium gas jet where the cluster sizes are larger and the atomic density is higher. The plasma channel formation and its impact on the deuterium ion energy spectrum and the consequent fusion neutron yield have been investigated. The calculated results show that a remarkable increase of the table-top laser driven fusion neutron yield would be expected.
PACS: 36.40.Wa – Charged clusters / 52.50.Jm – Plasma production and heating by laser beams (laser-foil, laser-cluster, etc.) / 25.45.-z – 2H-induced reactions
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2008
