Nuclear Fusion Driven by Coulomb Explosion of Methane Clusters

Multielectron ionization and Coulomb explosion of methane clusters (CA 4 ) n, A = H, D, and T, in very intense ( I = 10 18 −10 19 W cm -2 ) laser fields were studied using classical dynamics simulations. The products of Coulomb explosion involve light A + ions (p, d, and t nuclei) with energies up to 20 keV, C 4+ ions at I = 10 18 W cm -2, and C 6+ ions (carbon nuclei) with energies up to 110 keV at I = 10 19 W cm -2 . Important advantages of nuclear fusion driven by Coulomb explosion of methane (C 4+ A 4 + ) n and (C 6+ A 4 + ) n heteronuclear clusters pertain to energetic effects, with the heavy multielectron ions driving the light H +, D +, or T + ions (d or t nuclei) to considerably higher energies than for homonuclear deuterium clusters of the same size, and to kinematic effects, which result in a sharp high-energy maximum in the light-ion spectrum for the (C 4+ A 4 + ) n and(C 6 A 4 + ) n clusters. We studied the energetics of Coulomb explosion in conjunction with isotope effects on the product A + and C k + ions energies and established the cluster size dependence of dd and dt fusion reaction yields from an assembly of Coulomb-exploding clusters. The C 6+ nuclei produced by Coulomb explosion of (C 6+ D 4 + ) n ( n = 5425) clusters are characterized by an average energy of E av = 65.2 keV and a maximum energy of E M = 112 keV. A search was undertaken for the 12 C 6+ + 1 H + fusion reaction of astrophysical interest.