Laser-based approach to measure small nuclear cross sections in plasma

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Feng, Jie; Qi, Jintao; Zhang, Hanxu; Chen, Siyu; Zhu, Mingyang; Hu, Xichen; Xu, Hao; Fu, Changbo; Wang, Xu; Chen, Liming; Zhang, Jie
• 署名单位: Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Fudan University; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-9485
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2413221121
• 发表日期: 2024-11-19
• 关键词: acceleration; fusion

摘要

We demonstrate an approach successfully measuring very small nuclear isomeric excitation cross sections (on the order of 10 to 100 picobarns) via laser-cluster interaction. The interaction between an intense laser pulse and Kr atomic clusters generates a high-temperature and high-density plasma ball in which nuclear excitations are facilitated by inelastic electron scattering. The electron temperature reaches several hundred keV (corresponding to 109 K), similar to a stellar environment. The very small nuclear excitation cross sections are extremely challenging to measure otherwise, for example using traditional accelerator-based approaches. Our method opens a broad avenue of measuring small nuclear cross sections and holds promise for advancing understanding of nuclear transition mechanisms and exploring pathways in the evolutionary dynamics of elements within stellar environments.