Related papers: Laser-driven neutron source from high temperature …
In this work, we present a new and general method for measuring the astrophysical S-factor of nuclear reactions in laser-induced plasmas and we apply it to d(d,n)$^{3}$He. The experiment was performed with the Texas Petawatt laser, which…
We present picosecond-resolution streaked K-shell spectra from 400 nm-diameter nickel nanowire arrays, demonstrating the ability to generate large volumes of high energy density plasma when combined with the longer pulses typical of the…
We show that transmutation driven by high-energy neutrons from deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reactions can produce many important medical radioisotopes - including $^{32}$P, $^{60}$Co, $^{64}$Cu, $^{89}$Sr, $^{90}$Y, $^{89}$Zr,…
Narrow bandwidth, high energy photon sources can be generated by Thomson scattering of laser light from energetic electrons, and detailed control of the interaction is needed to produce high quality sources. We present analytic calculations…
It is very important to measure the plasma performances of fusion reactors such as fuel ion density, plasma temperature, fusion power, fast neutron energy, and neutron flux. Various diagnostic systems are needed to measure fast neutron…
We report on an experimental study on the interaction of a high-contrast 40 fs duration 2.5 TW laser pulse with an argon cluster target. A high-charge, homogeneous, large divergence electron beam with moderate kinetic energy (~2 MeV) is…
Optically thin accretion plasmas can reach ion temperatures $T_{\rm i} \geq 10^{10}$K and thus trigger nuclear reactions. Using a large nuclear interactions network, we studied the radial evolution of the chemical composition of the…
The Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX) at the University of Maryland, College Park is a rotating mirror device that utilizes a central cathode to generate a radial electric field which induces a strongly sheared azimuthal $E\times…
A recently formulated thermal model for hadron production in heavy-ion collisions in the few-GeV energy regime is combined with the idea that some part of protons and neutrons present in the original thermal system forms deuterons via the…
We report on the laser-driven generation of purely neutral, relativistic electron-positron pair plasmas. The overall charge neutrality, high average Lorentz factor ($\gamma_{e/p} \approx 15$), small divergence ($\theta_{e/p} \approx 10 -…
The photoproduction of $D^{*\pm} (2010)$ mesons associated with a leading neutron has been observed with the ZEUS detector in $ep$ collisions at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 80 pb$^{-1}$. The neutron carries a large fraction,…
In-medium interactions of a particle in a hot plasma are considered in the framework of thermal field theory. The formalism to calculate gauge invariant rates for photon and dilepton production from the medium is given. In the application…
Previous measurements of neutron energy using fast plastic scintillators while operating the Fusion Z Pinch Experiment (FuZE) constrained the energy of any yield-producing deuteron beams to less than $4.65 keV$. FuZE has since been operated…
This dissertation explores the interaction between high-intensity lasers and plasmas to accelerate electrons and produce radiation via experimental and computational efforts. The laser pulses used in this dissertation have ultrashort…
A new intense superthermal source for ultracold neutrons (UCN) has been installed at a dedicated beam line at the Institut Laue-Langevin. Incident neutrons with a wavelength of 0.89 nm are converted to UCN in a five liter volume filled with…
We propose that neutrons may be generated in high-energy, high-flux photon environments via photo-induced reactions on pre-existing baryons. These photohadronic interactions are expected to occur in astrophysical jets and surrounding…
Gamma-ray flash generation in near critical density (NCD) target irradiated by four symmetrical colliding laser pulses is numerically investigated. With peak intensities about $10^{23}$ W/cm$^2$, the laser pulses boost electron energy…
An investigation of the multi-hundred MeV electron beam yield (charge) form helium, nitrogen, neon and argon gas jet plasmas in a laser-plasma wakefield acceleration experiment was carried out. The charge measurement has been made via…
We report a proposal to observe the two-photon Breit-Wheeler process in plasma driven by compact lasers. A high charge electron bunch can be generated from laser plasma wakefield acceleration when a tightly focused laser pulse transports in…
In neutron transmutation doped germanium, the thermal neutron fluence of reactor irradiation is as high as 10$^{18}$~n$\cdot$cm$^{-2}$. For radiological safety reasons, general Co or Au neutron flux monitors cannot be easily used. We have…