Characteristics of Laser-Driven Neutron Sources

Abstract

Laser-driven neutron sources offer a unique characteristic as a brightness neutron source because they provide a short pulse duration (less than ns) in time and a small spot size (a few mm2) in space at the source point. The peak flux per driver energy reaches 1017 n/cm2/s/J, which is 1,000 times higher than that achieved by an accelerator-driven source. We compared the characteristics of a laser-driven neutron source with those achieved by an accelerator-driven source by focusing on the amount of neutron production numbers on the source as a function of driver energy. We also present the technological status or perspective of laser-driven neutron sources in order to achieve an average production rate 1011 n/sr/sec that obtained by a compact accelerator-driven neutron source.