Nuclear excitation by electron capture in optical-laser-generated plasmas

Abstract

The process of nuclear excitation by electron capture in plasma environments generated by the interaction of ultra-strong optical lasers with solid-state samples is investigated theoretically. With the help of a plasma model we perform a comprehensive study of the optimal parameters for most efficient nuclear excitation and determine the corresponding laser setup requirements. We discern between the low-density plasma regime, modeled by scaling laws, and the high-density regime, for which we perform particle-in-cell calculations. As nuclear transition case study we consider the 4.85 keV nuclear excitation starting from the long-lived ${}^{93\mathrm{m}}$Mo isomer. Our results show that the optimal plasma and laser parameters are sensitive to the chosen observable and that measurable rates of nuclear excitation and isomer depletion of ${}^{93\mathrm{m}}$Mo should be already achievable at laser facilities existing today.

arXiv comment19 pages, 16 figures; minor modifications made; accepted for publication in Physical Review E

References in corpus (13)

• Extremely high-intensity laser interactions with fundamental quantum systems
• Isomer triggering via nuclear excitation by electron capture
• Theory of nuclear excitation by electron capture for heavy ions
• Ionization potential depression and dynamical structure factor in dense plasmas
• Dominant Secondary Nuclear Photoexcitation with the X-ray Free Electron Laser
• Nuclear effects in atomic transitions
• Tailoring laser-generated plasmas for efficient nuclear excitation by electron capture
• Quantum interference between nuclear excitation by electron capture and radiative recombination
• Laser-Cluster-Interaction in a Nanoplasma-Model with Inclusion of Lowered Ionization Energies
• Direct and secondary nuclear excitation with x-ray free-electron lasers
• Characteristics of the 21/2^+ isomer in 93Mo: toward the possibility of enhanced nuclear isomer decay
• Determination of plasma screening effects for thermonuclear reactions in laser-generated plasmas
• Ion heating dynamics in solid buried layer targets irradiated by ultra-short intense laser pulses

Cited by in corpus (9)

• The ${}^{229}$Th isomer: prospects for a nuclear optical clock
• Femtosecond pumping of nuclear isomeric states by the Coulomb collision of ions with quivering electrons
• ${}^{93m}$Mo isomer depletion via beam-based nuclear excitation by electron capture
• Dynamical control of nuclear isomer depletion via electron vortex beams
• Nuclear Excitation by Electron Capture in Excited Ions
• X-ray assisted nuclear excitation by electron capture in optical laser-generated plasmas
• Neutron production from thermonuclear reactions in laser-generated plasmas
• A new scheme for isomer pumping and depletion with high-power lasers
• Isomer depletion via nuclear excitation by inelastic electron scattering