High flux, beamed neutron sources employing deuteron-rich ion beams from D₂O-ice layered targets

A forwardly-peaked bright neutron source was produced using a laser-driven, deuteron-rich ion beam in a pitcher-catcher scenario. A proton-free ion source was produced via target normal sheath acceleration from Au foils having a thin layer of D₂O ice at the rear side, irradiated by sub-petawatt laser pulses (∼200 J, ∼750 fs) at peak intensity $\sim 2\times {10}^{20}W{cm}^{-2}$. The neutrons were preferentially produced in a beam of ∼70° FWHM cone along the ion beam forward direction, with maximum energy up to ∼40 MeV and a peak flux along the axis $\sim 2\times {10}^{9}n{sr}^{-1}$ for neutron energy above 2.5 MeV. The experimental data is in good agreement with the simulations carried out for the d(d,n)³He reaction using the deuteron beam produced by the ice-layered target. (paper)