Method and apparatus for high-energy generation and for inducing nuclear reactions

• US 20020172317A1
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anatoly Maksimchuk, Donald Umstadter, Gerard Mourou, Kirk Flippo, Koshichi Nemoto, Shaoting Gu, Sudeep Banerjee, Valery Bychenkov
• Original Assignee: Anatoly Maksimchuk, Donald Umstadter, Gerard Mourou, Kirk Flippo, Koshichi Nemoto, Shaoting Gu, Sudeep Banerjee, Valery Bychenkov
• Inventors: Nemoto, Koshichi, Mourou, Gerard, Umstadter, Donald, Banerjee, Sudeep, Bychenkov, Valery, Maksimchuk, Anatoly, Flippo, Kirk, Gu, Shaoting
• Granted Patent: US 6,909,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 376/190
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 1/10 by bombardment with electrically charged particles irradiation devices G21K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G21G 1/12 by electromagnetic irradiation, e.g. with gamma or X-rays applications of radiation G21H5/00; irradiation devices G21K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 6/00 Targets for producing nuclear reactions supports for targets or objects to be irradiated G21K5/08 ; preparation of tritium C01B4/00; targets, e.g. pellets for fusion reactions by laser or charged particles beam injection H05H1/22
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/10 Nuclear fusion reactors

Abstract

A system is provided for generating high-energy particles and for inducing nuclear reactions. The system includes a laser and for emitting a laser beam, an irradiation target for receiving the laser beam and producing high-energy particles, and a secondary target for receiving the high-energy particles, thereby inducing a nuclear reaction. A method is also provided including producing a laser beam of high-intensity with an ultra-short pulse duration, irradiating the laser beam onto an irradiation target in order to ionize the irradiation target and produce a collimated beam of high-energy particles, and colliding the collimated beam of high-energy particles onto a secondary target containing a nuclei, thereby inducing a nuclear reaction on the secondary target.

Claims

1. A method of generating a collimated beam of high-energy particles comprising:

producing a laser beam having an intensity greater than or equal to about 10¹⁸ W/cm² and a pulse duration less than or equal to about 10^{31 9} seconds; and

irradiating an irradiation target capable of releasing high energy ions with said laser beam.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said irradiation step produces a particle beam with an energy level greater than or equal to about 100 keV.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said irradiation step produces a particle beam directed to within about 40 degrees of normal to said irradiation target.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said pulse duration is less than or equal to about 10⁻

11 seconds.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said laser beam has a repetition rate greater than or equal to about 10⁻

3 Hz.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said irradiation target further comprises one of a solid, a liquid jet, and a droplet jet.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

inducing a nuclear reaction by colliding said particle beam into a secondary target containing a nuclei.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said secondary target is merged with said irradiation target.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said particle beam includes at least one of protons, deuterons, and tritons.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said secondary target further comprises at least one of boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and neon.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said particle beam further comprises protons and said secondary target further comprises at least one of boron-11, boron-10, nitrogen-14, oxygen-16, nitrogen-15, and oxygen-18 .

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said particle beam further comprises deuterons and said secondary target further comprises at least one of boron-10, carbon-12, nitrogen-14, and neon-20 .

13. The method of claim 7 wherein said laser beam includes a pulse interval shorter than a half-life of isotopes produced by said nuclear reaction.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein said particle beam includes excited atomic nuclei.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said irradiation target further comprises one of a solid, a liquid jet, and a droplet jet.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a secondary target containing a nuclei disposed downstream of said irradiation target and receiving a particle beam form said irradiation target to induce a nuclear reaction.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said secondary target is merged with said irradiation target.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said particle beam includes at least one of protons, deuterons, and tritons.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said secondary target further comprises at least one of boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and neon.

15. An apparatus for generating a collimated beam of high-energy particles comprising:

a laser adapted to generate a laser beam having an intensity greater than or equal to about 10¹⁸ W/cm² and a pulse duration less than or equal to about 10<sup>−

9</sup> seconds; and

an irradiation target capable of releasing high energy ions disposed in irradiation receiving relation to said laser beam.