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A femtosecond neutron source

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Abstract

The possibility of using the ultrashort ion bunches produced by circularly polarized laser pulses to drive a source of fusion neutrons with sub-optical cycle duration is discussed. A two-sided irradiation of a deuterated thin foil target produces two counter-moving ion bunches, whose collision produces an ultrashort neutron burst. Using particle-in-cell simulations and analytical modeling, it is calculated that, for intensities of a few 1019 W cm-2, more than 103 neutrons per Joule may be producedwithin a time shorter than one femtosecond. Another scheme based on a layered deuterium-tritium target is outlined.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. polyLAB, CNR-INFM, Dipartimento di Fisica “E. Fermi”, Università di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy

    A. Macchi

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  1. A. Macchi
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Correspondence to A. Macchi.

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PACS

24.90.+d; 29.25.Dz; 52.38.ph; 52.50.Jm

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Macchi, A. A femtosecond neutron source. Appl. Phys. B 82, 337–340 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-005-2092-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-005-2092-y

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