Nuclear Fusion Driven by Coulomb Explosion of Methane Clusters

Multielectron ionization and Coulomb explosion of methane clusters (CA4)n, A = H, D, and T, in very intense (I = 1018−1019 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, C4+ ions at I = 1018 W cm-2, and C6+ ions (carbon nuclei) with energies up to 110 keV at I = 1019 W cm-2. Important advantages of nuclear fusion driven by Coulomb explosion of methane (C4+A4+)n and (C6+A4+)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 (C4+A4+)n and(C6 A4+)n clusters. We studied the energetics of Coulomb explosion in conjunction with isotope effects on the product A+ and Ck+ ions energies and established the cl...