Laser-driven implosion characterization by the analysis of charged-fusion-product energy spectra
Bennish, Aaron Hersch
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/22796
Description
Title
Laser-driven implosion characterization by the analysis of charged-fusion-product energy spectra
Author(s)
Bennish, Aaron Hersch
Issue Date
1990
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Miley, George H.
Department of Study
Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering
Discipline
Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Engineering, Nuclear
Physics, Radiation
Physics, Fluid and Plasma
Language
eng
Abstract
Energy spectra of charged-fusion products escaping laser-imploded deuterium-tritium filled glass microballoon targets were measured with a time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer. The TOF spectrometer was carefully designed, constructed and calibrated to simultaneously measure alpha-particles and protons.
Experiments were performed using the 24-beam Omega Laser System at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester. For the first series of experiments, a short laser pulse of about 100 ps was used, so that the targets behaved in the exploding pusher mode. Both the alpha-particle and proton spectra were obtained from over twenty experiments. These results were used to study four slowing-down theories. It was found that, within the experimental accuracy, the classical slowing-down theories adequately describe the results. For the second series of experiments, a long laser pulse of about 900 ps was used, so that the target implosion was more ablative. Only the protons escaped the target. The proton spectra of five experiments were analyzed and gave evidence of thermonuclear yield at both the time of shock heating and at the time of maximum compression. The analysis of these proton spectra provides the first conclusive proof of significant compression yields in these targets, where approximately half of the yield occurs during the compression phase. The LILAC computer code, which was developed at LLE, was extensively used to simulate both series of experiments.
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