High Power Laser and Particle Beams, Volume. 33, Issue 9, 094004(2021)

Experimental study of high yield neutron source based on multi reaction channels

Bo Cui1... Zhimeng Zhang1, Zenghai Dai1, Wei Qi1, Zhigang Deng1, Hua Huang1, Shukai He1, WeiWu Wang1, Jian Teng1, Bo Zhang1, Hongjie Liu1, Jiabin Chen1, Yunqing Xiao1, Di Wu2, Wenjun Ma2, Wei Hong1, Jingqin Su1, Weimin Zhou1 and Yuqiu Gu1,* |Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • 1Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
  • 2State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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    The short-pulse neutron source based on ultra-short and ultra-intense laser is an ideal neutron source for ultra-fast neutron detection. For many applications of the novel laser neutron source, the neutron yield now becomes a major limitation. It is proposed here that, based on the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration mechanism (TNSA) and the beam-target reaction scheme, the adoption of composite component target LiD as the neutron converter can be an effective path to enhance the neutron yield. Compared with the traditional LiF converter, which has two typical reaction channels p-Li and d-Li, the use of LiD converter has the advantages on introducing two more reactions channels, i.e., p-D and d-D. Therefore, more reaction channels are expected to be beneficial for increasing the neutron yield. It is experimentally demonstrated that by using LiD converter, an enhancement of 2-3 folds of neutron yield is achieved compared with the LiF converter. As a result, a neutron beam with the highest yield of 5.2×108 sr-1 with a forward beamed distribution is well obtained. The contribution of multi reaction channels is also identified, indicating the enhancement of neutron yield mainly comes from the p-D reaction.

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    Bo Cui, Zhimeng Zhang, Zenghai Dai, Wei Qi, Zhigang Deng, Hua Huang, Shukai He, WeiWu Wang, Jian Teng, Bo Zhang, Hongjie Liu, Jiabin Chen, Yunqing Xiao, Di Wu, Wenjun Ma, Wei Hong, Jingqin Su, Weimin Zhou, Yuqiu Gu. Experimental study of high yield neutron source based on multi reaction channels[J]. High Power Laser and Particle Beams, 2021, 33(9): 094004

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    Paper Information

    Category: Particle Beams and Accelerator Technology

    Received: Jul. 30, 2021

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Oct. 9, 2021

    The Author Email: Gu Yuqiu (yqgu@caep.cn)

    DOI:10.11884/HPLPB202133.210330

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