title: Ion heating and thermonuclear neutron production from high-intensity subpicosecond laser pulses interacting with underdense plasmas.
abstract: Thermonuclear fusion neutrons produced by D(d,n)3He reactions have been measured from the interaction of a high-intensity laser with underdense deuterium plasmas. For an input laser energy of 62 J, more than (1.0+/-0.2)x10(6) neutrons with a mean kinetic energy of (2.5+/-0.2) MeV were detected. These neutrons were observed to have an isotropic angular emission profile. By comparing these measurements with those using a secondary solid CD2 target it was determined that neutrons are produced from direct ion heating during this interaction.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers Intenses, UMR 7605, CNRS-CEA, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 91128, Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fritzler
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Najmudin
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Malka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krushelnick
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marle
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dangor