Numerical Simulation of the Yield of alpha Particles and Neutrons from the B-11(p, 3 alpha) and B-11(p, n)C-11 Nuclear Reactions Induced by Intense Picosecond Laser Radiation

摘要

The yields of alpha particles and neutrons from the promising B-11(p, 3 alpha) fusion reaction and the reference B-11(p, n)C-11 nuclear reaction, respectively, which are induced by intense picosecond laser radiation with an intensity of 2 x 10(18) W/cm(2), have been numerically simulated. The numerical simulation of the interaction of a laser pulse with a primary aluminum target has been carried out in the two-dimensional xz version of the KARAT PIC (particle-in-cell) code in two stages. First, the proton flux from the back side of the Al target on which the laser pulse is incident has been calculated. Second, B-11(p, 3 alpha) and B-11(p, n)C-11 reactions induced by the proton beam in the boron target have been simulated. The calculations have shown that the total yield of alpha particles is N-alpha = 7.2 x 10(8), the number of alpha particles with energies above 0.5 MeV that reach a detector is 2 x 10(7), which is 2.8% of their total yield, and the total yield of neutrons is Y-n = 10(5). The numerical simulation gives the yields of alpha particles and neutrons from the B-11(p, 3 alpha) and B-11(p, n)C-11 reactions per pulse that are in sufficiently good agreement with experimental data.