Α new publication from COST Action PROBONO by A. Picciotto, M. Valt, D. P. Molloy, A. Gaiardo, A. Milani, V. Kantarelou, L. Giuffrida, G. Nersisyan, A. McNamee, J. P. Kennedy, C. R. J. Fitzpatrick, P. Martin, D. Orecchia, A. Maffini, P. Scauso, L. Vanzetti, I. C. E. Turcu, L. Ferrario, R. Hall-Wilton, D. Margarone in Applied Surface Science, vol. 672 (2024)
Ammonia borane-based targets for new developments in laser-driven proton boron fusion
Antonino Picciotto a,*, Matteo Valt a,*, Daniel P. Molloy b,c, Andrea Gaiardo a, Alessandro Milani d, Vasiliki Kantarelou e, Lorenzo Giuffrida e, Gagik Nersisyan b, Aaron McNamee b, Jonathan P. Kennedy b, Colm R.J. Fitzpatrick b, Philip Martin b, Davide Orecchia d, Alessandro Maffini d, Pietro Scauso a, Lia Vanzetti a, Ion Cristian Edmond Turcu f,g, Lorenza Ferrario a, Richard Hall-Wilton a, Daniele Margarone b,e
Affiliations:
a Sensors and Devices Centre, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento 38123, Italy
b Centre for Light-Matter Interactions, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK
c HB11 Energy Holdings Pty, Freshwater, NSW 2096, Australia
d Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, via Ponzio 34/3, Milano 20133, Italy
e ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Dolní Breˇzany, Czech Republic
f UKRI/STFC Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot OX12 8HE, UK
g Extreme Light Infrastructure: Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Reactorului Street, No. 30, Magurele-Bucharest 077125, Romania
Applied Surface Science 672 (2024) 160797
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2024.160797
Abstract:
Nuclear fusion reactions involving protons and boron-11 nuclei are sparking increasing interest thanks to advancements in high-intensity, short-pulse laser technology. This type of reaction holds potential for a wide array of applications, from controlled nuclear fusion to radiobiology and cancer therapy. In line with this motivation, solid ammonia borane samples were developed as target material for proton-boron (pB) nuclear fusion. Following synthesis and shaping, these samples were tested for the first time in a laser-plasma pB fusion experiment. An investigation campaign focusing on surface chemical/physical analysis was carried out to characterize such samples in terms of composition of B and H, precursors of the pB fusion nuclear reaction, thus having a key impact on the yield of the generated nuclear products, i.e., alpha particles. A follow-up experiment used an 8 J, 800 fs laser pulse with an intensity of 2 × 1019 W cm−2 to irradiate the targets, generating ∼ 108 alpha particles per steradian. The alpha particle energy range (2–6 MeV) and normalized yield per laser energy of up to (6 × 107 J/sr) are comparable with the best previous alpha particle yields found in literature. These results pave the way for a yet unexplored category of pB fusion targets.
Cite: Picciotto, A. and Valt, M. and Molloy, D. P. and Gaiardo, A. and Milani, A. and Kantarelou, V. and Giuffrida, L. and Nersisyan, G. and McNamee, A. and Kennedy, J. P. and Fitzpatrick, C. R. J. and Martin, P. and Orecchia, D. and Maffini, A. and Scauso, P. and Vanzetti, L. and Turcu, I. C. E. and Ferrario, L. and Hall-Wilton, R. and Margarone, D. (2024). Ammonia borane-based targets for new developments in laser-driven proton boron fusion. Appl. Surf. Sci., 672, 160797. doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2024.160797
