Photonuclear physics when a multiterawatt laser pulse interacts with solid targets

Ledingham, K.W.D. et al. (2000) Photonuclear physics when a multiterawatt laser pulse interacts with solid targets. Physical Review Letters, 84(5), 899 -902. (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.899)

Abstract

When a laser pulse of intensity 10(19) W cm(-2) interacts with solid targets, electrons of energies of some tens of MeV are produced. In a tantalum target, the electrons generate an intense highly directional gamma-ray beam that can be used to carry out photonuclear reactions. The isotopes C-11, K-38, (CU)-C-62.64, Zn-63, Ag-106, Pr-140, and Ta-180 have been produced by (gamma, n) reactions using the VULCAN laser beam. In addition, laser-induced nuclear fission in U-238 been demonstrated, a process which was theoretically predicted at such laser intensities more than ten years ago. The ratio of the C-11 and the (CU)-C-62 beta(+) activities yields shot-by- shot temperatures of the suprathermal electrons at laser intensities of similar to 10(19) W cm(-2).

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Singhal, Dr Ravi and Cresswell, Dr Alan and Ledingham, Professor Kenneth and Sanderson, Professor David
• Authors: Ledingham, K.W.D., Spencer, I., McCanny, T., Singhal, R.P., Santala, M.I.K., Clark, E., Watts, I., Beg, F.N., Zepf, M., Krushelnick, K., Tatarakis, M., Dangor, A.E., Norreys, P.A., Allott, R., Neely, D., Clark, R.J., Machacek, A.C., Wark, J.S., Cresswell, A., Sanderson, D., and Magill, J.
• Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Journal Name: Physical Review Letters
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• ISSN: 0031-9007
• ISSN (Online): 1079-7114