Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
5-6
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-10-10
pubmed:abstractText
During the last few years, important experimental investigations have been made concerning the possibility of induced nuclear fission of high-Z elements by electromagnetic interaction (photofission, electron fission, neutron fission). Fast ions, neutrons and fission fragments from such interactions can be used to pump a laser medium, to produce energy from the (232)Th-(233)U nuclear fission cycle. The main aim of the present work is to study a three-step process, in a relatively new experimental scheme, in order to improve the number of both neutrons and fast ions. In the proposed scheme, high-energy particles and photons are produced by high-intensity laser beam interaction with a solid or gas target, which are utilized later on to trigger the nuclear reactions for the production of (photo) neutrons. These neutrons can give rise to fission of (232)Th that leads through a cascade of decays to (233)U --a highly fissionable material. Such a process will enhance, by an important factor, the final neutron flux and the energetic fission fragments. The use of a high intensity pulsed laser beam will control the turn-on and turn-off of the nuclear reactions and allow one to ensure the security of the whole operation. Finally, the produced neutrons are used to accomplish a major population inversion in an appropriate gas medium for the last stage of amplification of a high-contrast ultra-short laser seed pulse.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:status
PubMed-not-MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0969-8043
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
63
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
671-80
pubmed:articleTitle
Towards a laser neutron driver.
pubmed:affiliation
Institute of Matter Structure and Laser Physics (IMSLP), Technical University of Crete (TUC), Kounoupidiana-Campus, 73100 Chania, Crete, Greece.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article