Numerical investigation of spallation neutrons generated from petawatt-scale laser-driven proton beams
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2021
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| author | Martinez, B. Chen, S. N. Bolaños, S. Blanchot, N. Boutoux, G. Cayzac, W. Courtois, C. Davoine, X. Duval, A. Horny, V. Lantuejoul, I. Deroff, L. Le Masson-Laborde, P. E. Sary, G. Vauzour, B. Smets, R. Gremillet, L. Fuchs, J. |
| author_facet | Martinez, B. Chen, S. N. Bolaños, S. Blanchot, N. Boutoux, G. Cayzac, W. Courtois, C. Davoine, X. Duval, A. Horny, V. Lantuejoul, I. Deroff, L. Le Masson-Laborde, P. E. Sary, G. Vauzour, B. Smets, R. Gremillet, L. Fuchs, J. |
| contents | Due to their high cost of acquisition and operation, there are still a limited number of high-yield, high-flux neutron source facilities worldwide. In this context, laser-driven neutron sources offer a promising, cheaper alternative to those based on large-scale accelerators, with, in addition, the potential of generating compact neutron beams of high brightness and ultra-short duration. In particular, the predicted capability of next-generation petawatt (PW)-class lasers to accelerate protons beyond the 100 MeV range should unlock efficient neutron generation through spallation reactions. In this paper, this scenario is investigated numerically through particle-in-cell and Monte Carlo simulations, modeling, respectively, the laser acceleration of protons from thin-foil targets and their subsequent conversion into neutrons in secondary heavy-ion targets. Laser parameters relevant to the 1 PW LMJ-PETAL and 1-10 PW Apollon systems are considered. Under such conditions, neutron fluxes exceeding $10^{23}\,\rm n\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}$ are predicted, opening up attractive fundamental and applicative prospects. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2105_11094 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Numerical investigation of spallation neutrons generated from petawatt-scale laser-driven proton beams Martinez, B. Chen, S. N. Bolaños, S. Blanchot, N. Boutoux, G. Cayzac, W. Courtois, C. Davoine, X. Duval, A. Horny, V. Lantuejoul, I. Deroff, L. Le Masson-Laborde, P. E. Sary, G. Vauzour, B. Smets, R. Gremillet, L. Fuchs, J. Accelerator Physics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Nuclear Experiment Plasma Physics Due to their high cost of acquisition and operation, there are still a limited number of high-yield, high-flux neutron source facilities worldwide. In this context, laser-driven neutron sources offer a promising, cheaper alternative to those based on large-scale accelerators, with, in addition, the potential of generating compact neutron beams of high brightness and ultra-short duration. In particular, the predicted capability of next-generation petawatt (PW)-class lasers to accelerate protons beyond the 100 MeV range should unlock efficient neutron generation through spallation reactions. In this paper, this scenario is investigated numerically through particle-in-cell and Monte Carlo simulations, modeling, respectively, the laser acceleration of protons from thin-foil targets and their subsequent conversion into neutrons in secondary heavy-ion targets. Laser parameters relevant to the 1 PW LMJ-PETAL and 1-10 PW Apollon systems are considered. Under such conditions, neutron fluxes exceeding $10^{23}\,\rm n\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}$ are predicted, opening up attractive fundamental and applicative prospects. |
| title | Numerical investigation of spallation neutrons generated from petawatt-scale laser-driven proton beams |
| topic | Accelerator Physics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Nuclear Experiment Plasma Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.11094 |