Laser-induced fusion in ultra-dense deuterium D(−1): Optimizing MeV particle emission by carrier material selection

Power generation by laser-induced nuclear fusion in ultra-dense deuterium D(−1) requires that the carrier material interacts correctly with D(−1) prior to the laser pulse and also during the laser pulse. In previous studies, the interaction between the superfluid D(−1) layer and various carrier materials prior to the laser pulse has been investigated. It was shown that organic polymer materials do not give a condensed D(−1) layer. Metal surfaces carry thicker D(−1) layers useful for fusion. Here, the interaction between the carrier and the nuclear fusion process is investigated by observing the MeV particle emission (e.g. 14 MeV protons) using twelve different carrier materials and two different methods of detection. Several factors have been analyzed for the performance of the carrier materials: the hardness and the melting point of the material, and the chemical properties of the surface layer. The best performance is found for the high-melting metals Ti and Ta, but also Cu performs well as carrier despite its low melting point. The unexpectedly meager performance of Ni and Ir may be due to their catalytic activity towards hydrogen which may give atomic association to deuterium molecules at the low D2 pressure used.