• NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES
  • Vol. 47, Issue 3, 030501 (2024)
Kaijun LUO1, Wenru FAN1, Yun YUAN1、*, Wei QI2、**, Jingli ZHANG1, Xiaohui ZHANG2, Zhigang DENG2, and Wen LUO1
Author Affiliations
  • 1College of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
  • 2Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
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    DOI: 10.11889/j.0253-3219.2024.hjs.47.030501 Cite this Article
    Kaijun LUO, Wenru FAN, Yun YUAN, Wei QI, Jingli ZHANG, Xiaohui ZHANG, Zhigang DENG, Wen LUO. Efficient excitation of nuclear isomer 152mEu using a bremsstrahlung radiation source generated by laser plasma[J]. NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES, 2024, 47(3): 030501 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Background

    Nuclear isomers are crucial in cosmic element synthesis and have potential applications in controlling nuclear energy release. Specifically, Europium (Eu) is significant in fundamental studies. For instance, 152Eu is used as a reference source for radioactive experiments, and its isomeric state 152m1Eu has a probability of 73% to produce cosmological p-nuclei 152Gd with β- decay. Therefore, 152m1Eu is a crucial nuclide in the nuclearsynthesis of p-nuclei 152Gd.

    Purpose

    This study aims to realize the efficient excitation of 152m1Eu with a bremsstrahlung source generated by laser plasma.

    Methods

    Firstly, the laser-plasma bremsstrahlung source was utilized to achieve the efficient excitation of 152m1Eu (45.6 keV, T1/2=9.31 h) in the experiment with yields of 8×104 particles/shot by this isotope. Then, numerical simulations of the yield of 152m1, m2Eu were performed using the Geant4-GENBOD program to get generation time, and peak excitation efficiency evolution with electron temperature.

    Results

    The results demonstrate that when the electron temperature reaches 15 MeV, the yield of 152m1, m2Eu approaches saturation. When the incident electron charge is 17.6 nC, the yield of 152m1Eu is approximately 8×106 particles/shot, and that of 152m2Eu is approximately 2×105 particles/shot. The generation time of 152m1, m2Eu in the target is approximately 32 ps. When the electron temperature reaches 15 MeV, the peak excitation efficiency of 152m1Eu is expected to be ~1017 particles/s, and that of 152m2Eu is expected to be ~1016 particles/s.

    Conclusions

    The ultrashort ultrahigh intensity laser technology can significantly enhance the excitation efficiency of isotopes of the same nucleus, and this will provide an important research avenue for the study of cosmic element synthesis and nuclear energy release control applications.

    Kaijun LUO, Wenru FAN, Yun YUAN, Wei QI, Jingli ZHANG, Xiaohui ZHANG, Zhigang DENG, Wen LUO. Efficient excitation of nuclear isomer 152mEu using a bremsstrahlung radiation source generated by laser plasma[J]. NUCLEAR TECHNIQUES, 2024, 47(3): 030501
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