title: First demonstration of laser engagement of 1-Hz-injected flying pellets and neutron generation.
abstract: Pellet injection and repetitive laser illumination are key technologies for realizing inertial fusion energy. Numerous studies have been conducted on target suppliers, injectors, and tracking systems for flying pellet engagement. Here we for the first time demonstrate the pellet injection, counter laser beams' engagement and neutron generation. Deuterated polystyrene (CD) bead pellets, after free-falling for a distance of 18 cm at 1 Hz, are successfully engaged by two counter laser beams from a diode-pumped, ultra-intense laser HAMA. The laser energy, pulse duration, wavelength, and the intensity are 0.63 J per beam, 104 fs, and 811 nm, 4.7 × 10(18) W/cm(2), respectively. The irradiated pellets produce D(d,n)(3)He-reacted neutrons with a maximum yield of 9.5 × 10(4)/4π sr/shot. Moreover, the laser is found out to bore a straight channel with 10 μm-diameter through the 1-mm-diameter beads. The results indicate potentially useful technologies and findings for the next step in realizing inertial fusion energy.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries, 1955-1 Kurematsu-cho, Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan. komeda@gpi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Komeda
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Ryohei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanayama
authors.forename: Katsuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Suisei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Yoneyoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Nakahiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurita
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujine
authors.forename: Hirozumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Tomoyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Motohiro
authors.forename: Tatsumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hioki
authors.forename: Mitsutaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakeno
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sunahara
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sentoku
authors.forename: Eisuke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miura
mesh_terms: D007834:Lasers; D009502:Neutrons; D009681:Nuclear Fusion; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D011137:Polystyrenes