Coulomb cluster explosion boosted by an electrical pulse -- neutron source, diagnostic tool, and test of nuclear fusion efficiency

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to significantly boost neutron production in laser-initiated Coulomb explosions of deuterium clusters by using electrical pulses to accelerate ions, creating a powerful, compact neutron source and diagnostic tool.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach combining electrical pulse acceleration with Coulomb explosion to enhance neutron yield and diagnostic capabilities in nuclear fusion experiments.

Findings

Neutron output can reach up to 10^15 per shot.

Electrical pulse acceleration improves ion-target collision efficiency.

Multi-layered targets increase neutron production cross-section.

Abstract

To greatly enhance output of fusion-produced neutrons in a laser-initiated Coulomb explosion of $D$ clusters, we propose to accelerate $D^+$ ions by an electrical pulse to the energies where the $D^+ + D$ collision cross-section is the highest. With $D^+$ ions bombarding a $D$-rich cathode, this solves a few problems simultaneously by (a) removing electron cloud hindering the Coulomb explosion, (b) utilizing up to $100 \%$ of the ions to hit the high-density packed nuclei, and (c) reaching highly increased cross-section of neutron production in a single $D^+ + D$ collision, by using a multi-layered target. We show that neutron output can reach up to $10^{15}$ per shot, which provides for a powerful and compact neutron source. We also consider the use of $E$-pulse acceleration for diagnostic purposes.