Neutron Source from (γ, n ) Reactions at a Laser-Plasma Accelerator and Its Use for Electron Beam Characterization

D. A. Gorlova; Горлова Д. А.; A. Yu. Zavorotny; Заворотный А. Ю.; I. N. Tsymbalov; Цымбалов И. Н.; K. A. Ivanov; Иванов К. А.; S. A. Shulyapov; Шуляпов С. А.; R. V. Volkov; Волков Р. В.; A. B. Savel’ev; Савельев А. Б.

doi:10.31857/S1028096023080083

Neutron Source from (γ,n) Reactions at a Laser-Plasma Accelerator and Its Use for Electron Beam Characterization

Authors: Gorlova D.A.¹^,2, Zavorotny A.Y.¹^,2, Tsymbalov I.N.¹^,2, Ivanov K.A.¹^,3, Shulyapov S.A.¹^,4, Volkov R.V.¹, Savel’ev A.B.¹^,3
Affiliations:
1. Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University
2. Institute for Nuclear Research of Russian Academy of Sciences
3. Lebedev Physical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences
4. N.N. Andreyev Acoustics Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences
Issue: No 8 (2023)
Pages: 22-31
Section: Articles
URL: https://ruspoj.com/1028-0960/article/view/664518
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31857/S1028096023080083
EDN: https://elibrary.ru/OBZOPU
ID: 664518

Cite item

Full Text

Open Access
Restricted Access

Access granted
Restricted Access

Subscription Access

Abstract

Development of compact laboratory-scale neutron sources is of importance both for fundamental physical research and practical applications (for example, neutron radiography and spectroscopy). One of the most promising approaches to the development of such a source is the implementation of laser-plasma accelerated electrons or ions, and the subsequent initiation of nuclear reactions (γ,n), (p,n) or (d,n) with the emission of neutrons. In the present work, a neutron source produced via photodisintegration reactions (γ,n) using an electron beam from a one TW laser-plasma accelerator has been created and characterized. Maximum observed neutron flux was ~10⁵ neutrons/s · srad with a ~10⁶ neutrons per J of laser radiation efficiency. With constant efficiency and 10 times increase in the laser pulse energy the neutron flux will be sufficient for certain applications. Numerical Monte-Carlo simulations of neutron generation by an electron beam with parameters corresponding to those measured experimentally were also carried out. It was demonstrated that the number of generated neutrons can be used to estimate the charge and average energy of accelerated electrons. The obtained values are in good agreement with the values measured by the standard beam diagnostic tools.

Keywords

neutron source, laser-plasma acceleration, electron acceleration, photonuclear reactions, beam charge measurement, Monte-Carlo method.

References

Gales S., Tanaka K.A., Balabanski D.L., Negoita F., Stutman D., Tesileanu O., Ur C.A., Ursescu D., Andrei I., Ataman S. et al. // Reports Prog. Phys. 2018. V. 81. № 9. P. 094301. https://www.doi.org/10.1088/1361-6633/AACFE8
Umstadter D. // J. Phys. D. Appl. Phys. 2003. V. 36. № 8. P. R151. https://www.doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/36/8/202
Alejo A., Ahmed H., Green A., Mirfayzi S.R., Borghesi M., Kar S. // Nuovo Cim. della Soc. Ital. di Fis. C. 2015. V. 38. № 6. P. 1. https://www.doi.org/10.1393/ncc/i2015-15188-8
Nedorezov V.G., Rykovanov S.G., Savel’ev A.B. // Uspekhi Fiz. Nauk. 2021. T. 191. C. 1281. https://www.doi.org/10.3367/ufnr.2021.03.038960
Filges D., Goldenbaum F. // Handbook of Spallation Research. Germany, Wiley, Weinheim, 2009.
Altieri S., Protti N. // Ther. Radiol. Oncol. 2018. V. 2. P. 47. https://www.doi.org/10.21037/TRO.2018.10.08
Ковальчук М.В., Воронин В.В., Гаврилов С.В., Гартвик А.В., Дьячков М.В., Ипатов Д.А., Матвеев В.А., Тарнавич В.В., Ульянов В.А. // Кристаллография. 2022. Т. 67. № 5. С. 785. https://www.doi.org/10.31857/S0023476122050095
Anderson I.S., Andreani C., Carpenter J.M., Festa G., Gorini G., Loong C.K., Senesi R. // Phys. Rep. 2016. V. 654. P. 1. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/J.PHYSREP.2016.07.007
Ikeda Y., Taketani A., Takamura M., Sunaga H., Kumagai M., Oba Y., Otake Y., Suzuki H. // Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A. 2016. V. 833. P. 61. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/J.NIMA.2016.06.127
Alvarez J., Fernández-Tobias J., Mima K., Nakai S., Kar S., Kato Y., Perlado J.M. // Phys. Procedia. C. 2014. V. 60. P. 29. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.phpro.2014.11.006
Kleinschmidt A., Bagnoud V., Deppert O., Favalli A., Frydrych S., Hornung J., Jahn D., Schaumann G., Tebartz A., Wagner F. et al. // Phys. Plasmas. 2018. V. 25. № 5. P. 053101. https://www.doi.org/10.1063/1.5006613
Ivanov K.A., Shulyapov S.A., Gorlova D.A., Mordvintsev I.M., Tsymbalov I.N., Savel’ev A.B. // Quantum Electron. 2021. V. 51. № 9. P. 768. https://www.doi.org/10.1070/QEL17604/XML
Feng J., Fu C., Li Y., Zhang X., Wang J., Li D., Zhu C., Tan J., Mirzaie M., Zhang Z. et al. // High Energy Density Phys. 2020. V. 36. P. 100753. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.hedp.2020.100753
Arikawa Y., Utsugi M., Alessio M., Nagai T., Abe Y., Kojima S., Sakata S., Inoue H., Fujioka S., Zhang Z. et al. // Plasma Fusion Res. 2015. V. 10. Iss. 1. P. 2404003. https://www.doi.org/10.1585/pfr.10.2404003
Phillips T.W., Cable M.D., Cowan T.E., Hatchett S.P., Henry E.A., Key M.H., Perry M.D., Sangster T.C., Stoyer M.A. // Rev. Sci. Instrum. 1999. V. 70. № 1. P. 1213. https://www.doi.org/10.1063/1.1149337
Mirfayzi S.R., Yogo A., Lan Z., Ishimoto T., Iwamoto A., Nagata M., Nakai M., Arikawa Y., Abe Y., Golovin D. et al. // Sci. Rep. 2020. V. 10. № 1. P. 20157. https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-77086-y
Mirfayzi S.R., Ahmed H., Doria D., Alejo A., Ansell S., Clarke R.J., Gonzalez-Izquierdo B., Hadjisolomou P., Heathcote R., Hodge T. et al. // Appl. Phys. Lett. 2020. V. 116. № 17. P. 174102. https://www.doi.org/10.1063/5.0003170
Jung D., Falk K., Guler N., Deppert O., Devlin M., Favalli A., Fernandez J.C., Gautier D.C., Geissel M., Haight R. et al. // Phys. Plasmas. 2013. V. 20. № 5. P. 056706. https://www.doi.org/10.1063/1.4804640
Higginson D.P., McNaney J.M., Swift D.C., Bartal T., Hey D.S., Kodama R., Le Pape S., MacKinnon A., Mariscal D., Nakamura H. et al. // Phys. Plasmas. 2010. V. 17. № 10. P. 100701. https://www.doi.org/10.1063/1.3484218
Günther M.M., Rosmej O.N., Tavana P., Gyrdymov M., Skobliakov A., Kantsyrev A., Zähter S., Borisenko N.G., Pukhov A., Andreev N.E. // Nature Commun. 2022. V. 13. № 131. P. 1. https://www.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27694-7
Horn’y V., Chen S.N., Davoine X., et al. // High-flux neutron generation by laser-accelerated ions from single- and double-layer targets. Sci Rep 12, 19767 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24155-z
Magill J., Schwoerer H., Ewald F., Galy J., Schenkel R., Sauerbrey R.// Appl. Phys. B. 2003. V. 77. № 4. P. 387. https://www.doi.org/10.1007/S00340-003-1306-4
Tsymbalov I.N., Volkov R.V., Eremin N.V., Ivanov K.A., Nedorezov V.G., Paskhalov A.A., Polonskij A.L., Savel’ev A.B., Sobolevskij N.M., Turinge A.A. et al. // Phys. At. Nucl. 2017. V. 80. № 3. P. 397. https://www.doi.org/10.1134/S1063778817030231
Malka G., Aleonard M.M., Chemin J.F., Claverie G., Harston M.R., Scheurer J.N., Tikhonchuk V., Fritzler S., Malka V., Balcou P. et al. // Phys. Rev. E. 2002. V. 66. № 6. P. 066402. https://www.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.66.066402
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. et al. // Phys. Rev. Lett. 2000. V. 84. № 5. P. 899. https://www.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.899
Tsymbalov I., Gorlova D., Ivanov K., Shulyapov S., Prokudin V., Zavorotny A., Volkov R., Bychenkov V., Nedorezov V., Savel’ev A. et al. // Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion. 2021. V. 63. № 2. P. 022001. https://www.doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/abcc3c
Tsymbalov I., Gorlova D., Shulyapov S., Prokudin V., Zavorotny A., Ivanov K., Volkov R., Bychenkov V., Nedorezov V., Paskhalov A. et al. // Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion. 2019. V. 61. № 7. P. 075016. https://www.doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ab1e1d
Tsymbalov I.N., Volkov R.V., Eremin N.V., Ivanov K.A., Nedorezov V.G., Paskhalov A.A., Polonskij A.L., Savel’ev A.B., Sobolevskij N.M., Turinge A.A. et al. // Phys. At. Nucl. 2017. V. 80. № 3. P. 397. https://www.doi.org/10.1134/S1063778817030231
Gorlova D., Tsymbalov I., Ivanov K., Zavorotnyi A., Nedorezov V., Savel’ev A. // Proc. SPIE 2021. V. 11779. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2589123
Agostinelli S., Allison J., Amako K., Apostolakis J., Araujo H., Arce P., Asai M., Axen D., Banerjee S., Barrand G. et al. // Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A. 2003. V. 506. № 3. P. 250. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9002(03)01368-8
Chadwick M.B., Herman M., Obložinský P., Dunn M.E., Danon Y., Kahler A.C., Smith D.L., Pritychenko B., Arbanas G., Arcilla R. et al. // Nucl. Data Sheets. 2011. V. 112. № 12. P. 2887. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/J.NDS.2011.11.002
Kutsenko B. New Geant4 photonuclear cross-section model. https://cds.cern.ch/record/2778865/.
Otuka N., Dupont E., Semkova V., Pritychenko B., Blokhin A.I., Aikawa M., Babykina S., Bossant M., Chen G., Dunaeva S. et al. // Nucl. Data Sheets. 2014. V. 120. P. 272. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/J.NDS.2014.07.065
Kawano T., Cho Y.S., Dimitriou P., Filipescu D., Iwamoto N., Plujko V., Tao X., Utsunomiya H., Varlamov V., Xu R. et al. // Nucl. Data Sheets. 2020. V. 163. P. 109. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/J.NDS.2019.12.002