Enhanced p ¹¹ B fusion and α particle production from laser-irradiated nanowire arrays

B) fusion provides a unique pathway for generating energetic particles with a low associated neutron background.In this work, we investigate through particle-in-cell Monte Carlo (PIC-MC) simulations an enhanced p 11 B fusion and particle production in a laser-irradiated nanowire arrays (NWAs).A MC p 11 B fusion module is first implemented within the EPOCH framework, which helps to reliably simulate the p 11 B fusion plasma dynamics.Benchmark tests on the particle generation in p 11 B fusion reactions are performed.The results agree well with both the available experimental and theoretical data, thus validating the implemented p 11 B fusion module.This development is then used to study the p 11 B fusion plasma dynamics and the resulting production of particles in the NWAs target composed of octadecaborane, in which Bayesian optimization is performed to search for an optimal laser intensity and NWAs configuration.Two-dimensional PIC-MC simulations demonstrate that the NWAs target can produce a flux of energetic particles approximately two orders of magnitude greater than that of a planar target.This enhancement is mainly attributed to an efficient ion acceleration by sheath fields.It is demonstrated that the proposed optimization framework represents a reliable and efficient tool for studying laser-driven p 11 B fusion plasma physics, while providing valuable insights and practical guidance for optimizing NWAs targets toward higher reaction yields.