Speaker
Description
Both research and technological applications have contributed to the steady increase in interest in compact neutron sources in recent years. The majority of neutron sources nowadays depend on large infrastructure like nuclear reactors or particle accelerators, which have high costs and have problems with the generation of radioactive waste.
A viable substitute is laser-driven neutron generation, which can produce brief, intense neutron pulses at high repetition rates, making it suited also for time-of-flight measurements. In particular, the “pitcher–catcher” configuration enables the conversion of laser-accelerated ions or electrons into neutrons, with tunable yield and energy spectra through appropriate material and geometrical choices.
At the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), the high-intensity laser facility I-LUCE is currently under construction, and the inclusion of a dedicated neutron production station is under evaluation. Such a laser-driven neutron source would support a range of scientific activities, including activation measurements relevant to nuclear astrophysics and stellar nucleosynthesis.
This contribution will present the design considerations, expected performance, and scientific perspectives of a laser-driven neutron source at LNS.
