Heating of deuterium clusters by a superatomic ultra-short laser pulse

Citation
Vp. Krainov et Mb. Smirnov, Heating of deuterium clusters by a superatomic ultra-short laser pulse, J EXP TH PH, 92(4), 2001, pp. 626-633
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL PHYSICS
ISSN journal
10637761 → ACNP
Volume
92
Issue
4
Year of publication
2001
Pages
626 - 633
Database
ISI
SICI code
1063-7761(2001)92:4<626:HODCBA>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
The mechanisms of heating of the electronic component of large deuterium cl usters by a superatomic ultra-short laser pulse field are considered. Durin g pulse rise, the so-called "vacuum heating" plays the determining role. El ectrons escaping from a cluster into the vacuum with a low energy return ba ck in a time equal to the period of the laser under laser field action. The returning electrons have a higher energy (on the order of the vibrational energy in the laser radiation field), which causes cluster heating. As the laser field increases, the electronic temperature largely grows at the expe nse of decreasing the Coulomb potential energy of electron repulsion becaus e of a decrease in the number of electrons. The dynamics of above-barrier c luster ionization at the leading edge of a superatomic laser pulse is calcu lated. The results are discussed in the light of recent experiments aimed a t creating desktop sources of monoenergetic neutrons formed as a result of the fusion of deuterium nuclei in a cluster plasma. (C) 2001 MAIK "Nauka/ I nterperiodica".