Alpha particle yield in femtosecond laser-driven proton–boron fusion

Abstract We investigate the proton–boron (pB) fusion reaction and the yield of $$\alpha$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> </mml:math> particles produced by the interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with a boron-containing target system. The pB reaction is examined from an experimental point of view using a simplified model that involves the injection of cooled hydrogen gas into vacuum, forming molecular clusters. We estimate the number of $$\alpha$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> </mml:math> particles produced in a pitcher–catcher geometry, where the hydrogen jet serves as the pitcher target. We demonstrate that hydrogen clusters can serve as a cost-effective, renewable proton source compared to solid foils, and they are also suitable for high-repetition-rate experiments. Additionally, we review typical target and detection systems.