2025/07/24 by Yin, Weifu, Xu, Tongjun, Zhang, Guoqiang +23
#FOS: Physical sciences #Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2507.18146
The investigation and production of proton-rich iodine isotopes predominantly rely on conventional accelerator-based methods, typically requiring prolonged irradiation periods to measure or achieve quantifiable yields for isotopic isolation. Bremsstrahlung radiation sources generated by high-power laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams with ultrahigh charge (tens of nanocoulombs) bombarding high-Z targets demonstrate extraordinary photon flux characteristics. An electron beam with a total charge of approximately 47.7 nC (Ee \gt 10.4 MeV) was generated in our experiment by focusing a ultra-intense laser pulse onto a deuterium gas jet. Laser-driven bremsstrahlung was employed to induce 127I(γ,xn) (x = 1,3,4,6-8), and the product yields and the corresponding flux-weighted average cross sections are reported. Our results demonstrate production of medical isotopes, with average yields of 124I and 123I at approximately 9.83±0.45×105/shot and 2.81±0.11×105/shot, respectively. This method, utilizing high-power lasers to generate bremsstrahlung radiation, shows significant potential for medical applications and opens new avenues for studying photonuclear processes in astrophysical contexts.