Abstract
A beam of MeV protons, accelerated by ultraintense laser-pulse interactions with a thin target foil, is used to investigate nuclear reactions of interest for spallation physics. The laser-generated proton beam is shown (protons were measured) to have a broad energy distribution, which closely resembles the expected energy spectrum of evaporative protons (below 50 MeV) produced in GeV-proton-induced spallation reactions. The protons are used to quantify the distribution of residual radioisotopes produced in a representative spallation target (Pb), and the results are compared with calculated predictions based on spectra modeled with nuclear Monte Carlo codes. Laser-plasma particle accelerators are shown to provide data relevant to the design and development of accelerator driven systems.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 084801-1 |
Number of pages | 84800 |
Journal | Physical Review Letters |
Volume | 94 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2005 |
Keywords
- protons
- laser pulse
- spallation physics
- particle accelerators
- laser-plasma
- plasma