A miniature thermal neutron source using high power lasers

S. R. Mirfayzi; H. Ahmed; D. Doria; A. Alejo; S. Ansell; R.J. Clarke; B. Gonzalez-Izquierdo; P. Hadjisolomou; R. Heathcote; T. Hodge; P. Martin; D. Raspino; E. Schooneveld; P. McKenna; N.J. Rhodes; D. Neely; M. Borghesi; S. Kar

doi:10.1063/5.0003170

A miniature thermal neutron source using high power lasers

S. R. Mirfayzi, H. Ahmed, D. Doria, A. Alejo, S. Ansell, R.J. Clarke, B. Gonzalez-Izquierdo, P. Hadjisolomou, R. Heathcote, T. Hodge, P. Martin, D. Raspino, E. Schooneveld, P. McKenna, N.J. Rhodes, D. Neely, M. Borghesi, S. Kar

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Abstract

The continued improvement of high power laser technologies is recasting the prospects of smallscale neutron sources, to enable scientific communities and industries performing experiments that are currently offered at extensive accelerator-driven facilities. This paper reports moderation of laser-driven fast neutrons to thermal energies using a compact, modular moderator assembly. A significant thermal (∼ 25 meV) flux of ∼ 106 n/sr/pulse was measured from water and plastic moderators in a proof-of-principle experiment employing a relatively moderate power laser delivering 200 J on target in 10 ps. Using MCNPX simulations, the experimental results are reproduced and discussed.

Original language	English
Article number	174102
Number of pages	5
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	116
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0003170
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2020

Keywords

high power laser
small scale neutron sources
laser-driven fast neutrons

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10.1063/5.0003170

Mirfayzi-etal-APL-2020-A-miniature-thermal-neutron-source-using-high-power-lasersAccepted author manuscript, 1.92 MB

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Mirfayzi, S. R., Ahmed, H., Doria, D., Alejo, A., Ansell, S., Clarke, R. J., Gonzalez-Izquierdo, B., Hadjisolomou, P., Heathcote, R., Hodge, T., Martin, P., Raspino, D., Schooneveld, E., McKenna, P., Rhodes, N. J., Neely, D., Borghesi, M., & Kar, S. (2020). A miniature thermal neutron source using high power lasers. Applied Physics Letters, 116(17), [174102]. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0003170

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title = "A miniature thermal neutron source using high power lasers",

abstract = "The continued improvement of high power laser technologies is recasting the prospects of smallscale neutron sources, to enable scientific communities and industries performing experiments that are currently offered at extensive accelerator-driven facilities. This paper reports moderation of laser-driven fast neutrons to thermal energies using a compact, modular moderator assembly. A significant thermal (∼ 25 meV) flux of ∼ 106 n/sr/pulse was measured from water and plastic moderators in a proof-of-principle experiment employing a relatively moderate power laser delivering 200 J on target in 10 ps. Using MCNPX simulations, the experimental results are reproduced and discussed.",

keywords = "high power laser, small scale neutron sources, laser-driven fast neutrons",

author = "Mirfayzi, {S. R.} and H. Ahmed and D. Doria and A. Alejo and S. Ansell and R.J. Clarke and B. Gonzalez-Izquierdo and P. Hadjisolomou and R. Heathcote and T. Hodge and P. Martin and D. Raspino and E. Schooneveld and P. McKenna and N.J. Rhodes and D. Neely and M. Borghesi and S. Kar",

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doi = "10.1063/5.0003170",

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Mirfayzi, SR, Ahmed, H, Doria, D, Alejo, A, Ansell, S, Clarke, RJ, Gonzalez-Izquierdo, B, Hadjisolomou, P, Heathcote, R, Hodge, T, Martin, P, Raspino, D, Schooneveld, E, McKenna, P, Rhodes, NJ, Neely, D, Borghesi, M & Kar, S 2020, 'A miniature thermal neutron source using high power lasers', Applied Physics Letters, vol. 116, no. 17, 174102. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0003170

TY - JOUR

T1 - A miniature thermal neutron source using high power lasers

AU - Mirfayzi, S. R.

AU - Ahmed, H.

AU - Doria, D.

AU - Alejo, A.

AU - Ansell, S.

AU - Clarke, R.J.

AU - Gonzalez-Izquierdo, B.

AU - Hadjisolomou, P.

AU - Heathcote, R.

AU - Hodge, T.

AU - Martin, P.

AU - Raspino, D.

AU - Schooneveld, E.

AU - McKenna, P.

AU - Rhodes, N.J.

AU - Neely, D.

AU - Borghesi, M.

AU - Kar, S.

N1 - Article appears in the 27 April 2020 issue.

PY - 2020/5/1

Y1 - 2020/5/1

N2 - The continued improvement of high power laser technologies is recasting the prospects of smallscale neutron sources, to enable scientific communities and industries performing experiments that are currently offered at extensive accelerator-driven facilities. This paper reports moderation of laser-driven fast neutrons to thermal energies using a compact, modular moderator assembly. A significant thermal (∼ 25 meV) flux of ∼ 106 n/sr/pulse was measured from water and plastic moderators in a proof-of-principle experiment employing a relatively moderate power laser delivering 200 J on target in 10 ps. Using MCNPX simulations, the experimental results are reproduced and discussed.

AB - The continued improvement of high power laser technologies is recasting the prospects of smallscale neutron sources, to enable scientific communities and industries performing experiments that are currently offered at extensive accelerator-driven facilities. This paper reports moderation of laser-driven fast neutrons to thermal energies using a compact, modular moderator assembly. A significant thermal (∼ 25 meV) flux of ∼ 106 n/sr/pulse was measured from water and plastic moderators in a proof-of-principle experiment employing a relatively moderate power laser delivering 200 J on target in 10 ps. Using MCNPX simulations, the experimental results are reproduced and discussed.

KW - high power laser

KW - small scale neutron sources

KW - laser-driven fast neutrons

UR - https://aip.scitation.org/journal/apl

U2 - 10.1063/5.0003170

DO - 10.1063/5.0003170

M3 - Article

VL - 116

JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

SN - 0003-6951

IS - 17

M1 - 174102

ER -

A miniature thermal neutron source using high power lasers

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Nonlinear Optics and Dynamics of Relativistically Transparent Plasmas

Advanced laser-ion acceleration strategies towards next generation healthcare

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A miniature thermal neutron source using high power lasers

Abstract

Keywords

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Other files and links

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Nonlinear Optics and Dynamics of Relativistically Transparent Plasmas

Advanced laser-ion acceleration strategies towards next generation healthcare

Cite this