Mainz 2012 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
HK: Fachverband Physik der Hadronen und Kerne
HK 62: Nukleare Astrophysik
HK 62.6: Talk
Friday, March 23, 2012, 15:45–16:00, RW 2
Fission-Fusion: a new Reaction Mechanism for Nuclear Astrophysics based on Laser-Ion Acceleration* — •P.G. Thirolf1, D. Habs1,2, K. Allinger2, J. Bin2, W. Ma2, J. Schreiber1, and H. Wong2 — 1LMU München — 2MPI f. Quantenoptik, Garching
High power short-pulse lasers with peak powers presently reaching up to PW levels routinely reach focal intensities of 1018 - 1021 W/cm2. These lasers are able to produce a variety of secondary radiation, from relativistic electrons to multi-MeV/nucleon ion beams. Compared to ion beams generated by conventional accelerators, laser-accelerated ion bunches can reach ultra-high densities around solid-state density, exceeding classical ion beams by up to 1015. These properties will allow to investigate a new reaction mechanism, ’fission-fusion’, opening the perspective to generate extremely neutron-rich fusion products e.g. towards the N=126 waiting point of the r process path. Laser-accelerated 232Th ions pass through a second Th foil, where target-like and beam-like Th nuclei will desintegrate into heavy and light fission fragments. Due to the high beam density, subsequent fusion between two light (neutron-rich) fission fragments can occur, resulting in a very neutron rich fusion product. A new EU-funded large-scale research infrastructure ELI-NP (Extreme Light Infrastructure) will be built until 2016 in Bucharest for high-power laser-based nuclear physics. This facility with an unprecedented laser intensity of 1024 W/cm2 will allow to exploit the new fission-fusion reaction mechanism.
*supported by DFG Clusters of Excellence ’Universe’ and ’MAP’