Cluster dynamics transcending chemical dynamics toward nuclear fusion

doi:10.1073/pnas.0508622103

Cluster dynamics transcending chemical dynamics toward nuclear fusion

School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel

Edited by A. Welford Castleman, Jr., Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, and approved January 31, 2006 (received for review October 6, 2005)

Abstract

Ultrafast cluster dynamics encompasses femtosecond nuclear dynamics, attosecond electron dynamics, and electron-nuclear dynamics in ultraintense laser fields (peak intensities 10¹⁵–10²⁰ W·cm⁻²). Extreme cluster multielectron ionization produces highly charged cluster ions, e.g., (C⁴⁺(D⁺)₄)_n and (D⁺I²²⁺)_n at I _M = 10¹⁸ W·cm⁻², that undergo Coulomb explosion (CE) with the production of high-energy (5 keV to 1 MeV) ions, which can trigger nuclear reactions in an assembly of exploding clusters. The laser intensity and the cluster size dependence of the dynamics and energetics of CE of (D₂)_n, (HT)_n, (CD₄)_n, (DI)_n, (CD₃I)_n, and (CH₃I)_n clusters were explored by electrostatic models and molecular dynamics simulations, quantifying energetic driving effects, and kinematic run-over effects. The optimization of table-top dd nuclear fusion driven by CE of deuterium containing heteroclusters is realized for light-heavy heteroclusters of the largest size, which allows for the prevalence of cluster vertical ionization at the highest intensity of the laser field. We demonstrate a 7-orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the yield of dd nuclear fusion driven by CE of light-heavy heteroclusters as compared with (D₂)_n clusters of the same size. Prospective applications for the attainment of table-top nucleosynthesis reactions, e.g., ¹²C(P,γ)¹³N driven by CE of (CH₃I)_n clusters, were explored.

Footnotes

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jortner{at}chemsg1.tau.ac.il
Author contributions: A.H., J.J., and I.L. performed research and wrote the paper.
Conflict of interest statement: No conflicts declared.
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the PNAS office.
Abbreviations:

Abbreviations:

CE,

Coulomb explosion;

CVI,

cluster vertical ionization;

ECLHH,

extremely charged light-heavy heteroclusters;

EML,

electrostatic model;

NFDCE,

nuclear fusion driven by CE.