ARI-MA ACTIVE INTERROGATION USING RADIATION GENERATED FROM INTENSE LASER PRODUCED ELECTRON BEAMS

ARI-MA：利用强激光产生的电子束产生的辐射进行主动探测传统加速器技术的高成本和大尺寸刺激了对加速粒子新方法的探索。这项研究的目的是开发紧凑和有效的辐射源，用于主动探测物体，以探测核材料。该方法将使用由高功率激光产生的粒子束产生的辐射源。该项目的智力价值源于产生粒子束的新方法，涉及使用等离子体内强激光脉冲产生的大静电场，这比传统加速器中发现的要高几个数量级。这些场是在很短的距离内将电子束加速到高能量的理想场所。在提议的工作中，密歇根大学的300太瓦激光设备将用于产生千兆电子伏特范围内的能量电子束，然后用于产生高通量的高定向伽马射线，用于同时放射照相和主动询问（伽马射线激活）材料。从低密度目标产生高能质子束也将被研究，这可能允许更有效地产生介子和μ子。这项提议的研究可能会产生更广泛的影响，因为这种光束将有利于目前依赖于加速器技术的广泛研究，包括生物学，材料科学和医学。研究生和本科生都将参与这项工作，并将努力增加公众对激光和光束技术的了解，并促进多样性。

ARI-MA: Active Interrogation Using Radiation Generated from Intense Laser Produced Electron BeamsThe high cost and large size of conventional accelerator technology has stimulated a search for new methods of accelerating particles. The objective of this research is to develop compact and efficient radiation sources for active interrogation of objects in order to detect nuclear materials. The approach will be to use radiation sources generated by high power laser produced particle beams.The intellectual merit of the project stems from the novel approach to particle beam generation involving the use of the large electrostatic fields generated by intense laser pulses within plasmas, which can be several orders of magnitude higher than those found in conventional accelerators. These fields are ideal for accelerating electron bunches to high energies over very short distances. In the proposed work, the 300 Terawatt laser facility at the University of Michigan will be used to generate Giga-electronvolt-range energy electron beams which will then be used to generate a high flux of highly directional gamma rays to be used for simultaneous radiography and active interrogation (gamma ray activation) of material. The production of very energetic proton beams from underdense targets will also be investigated which may allow more efficient production of pions and muons.This proposed research may lead to broader impacts since such beams will be of benefit for a wide range of research which presently relies on accelerator technology including biology, materials science and medicine. Both graduate and undergraduate students will participate in this work and efforts will be made to increase public understanding of laser and beam technology as well as to promote diversity.