High efficiency of laser energy conversion with cavity pressure acceleration

Area of Science:

• Plasma Physics
• Laser-driven acceleration
• Fusion energy research

Background:

• Cavity Pressure Acceleration (CPA) offers an alternative to traditional plasma acceleration methods.
• Initial goal was to produce dense plasma streams for Impact Fast Ignition experiments.
• CPA utilizes laser-generated plasma pressure in confined regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficiency of CPA in generating high-energy interaction products.
• To evaluate CPA performance using deuterated polyethylene targets and a specific laser system.
• To compare CPA-generated neutron yields with other laser-induced fusion experiments.

Main Methods:

• Experimental setup using targets with deuterated polyethylene ([Formula: see text]) lined cavities.
• Irradiation with a [Formula: see text] PALS sub-kilojoule laser at an intensity of [Formula: see text].
• 1D hydrodynamic code simulations to model plasma parameters.

Main Results:

• High efficiency in converting laser energy to dense plasma streams and protons.
• Observed exceptionally high neutron yields in Deuterium-Deuterium experiments.
• 1D simulations confirmed the method's potential across different laser wavelengths.

Conclusions:

• CPA is a highly effective technique for generating energetic plasma and particles.
• The method demonstrates superior performance in neutron production compared to higher-energy facilities.
• CPA shows promise for advancing fusion energy research and related applications.