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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 94 » Issue 8
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 084801 (2005) [4 pages]

Broad Energy Spectrum of Laser-Accelerated Protons for Spallation-Related Physics

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P. McKenna1,*, K. W. D. Ledingham1,†, S. Shimizu1,‡, J. M. Yang1,§, L. Robson1,†, T. McCanny1, J. Galy2, J. Magill2, R. J. Clarke3, D. Neely3, P. A. Norreys3, R. P. Singhal4, K. Krushelnick5, and M. S. Wei5
1Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, United Kindgom
2European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, Postfach 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe, Germany
3Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
4Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
5Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom

Received 31 August 2004; published 4 March 2005

A beam of MeV protons, accelerated by ultraintense laser-pulse interactions with a thin target foil, is used to investigate nuclear reactions of interest for spallation physics. The laser-generated proton beam is shown (protons were measured) to have a broad energy distribution, which closely resembles the expected energy spectrum of evaporative protons (below 50 MeV) produced in GeV-proton-induced spallation reactions. The protons are used to quantify the distribution of residual radioisotopes produced in a representative spallation target (Pb), and the results are compared with calculated predictions based on spectra modeled with nuclear Monte Carlo codes. Laser-plasma particle accelerators are shown to provide data relevant to the design and development of accelerator driven systems.

© 2005 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.084801
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.084801
PACS:
41.75.Jv, 25.40.Sc, 52.38.Kd

*Electronic mail: p.mckenna@phys.strath.ac.uk

†Also at A.W.E., Aldermaston, Reading RG7 4PR, United Kingdom.

‡Present address: Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.

§Present address: Research Center of Laser Fusion, P.O.Box 919-986, Mianyang, 621900, People’s Republic of China.

 
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