PIC Simulations to Investigate the Influence of Initial Target Conditions on Short-Pulse Laser Neutron Production

Neutrons generated through tabletop laser-driven interactions offer benefits and complement traditional methods, allowing for progress in many applications such as neutron imaging and next-generation medical treatments. This study utilizes Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations to explore how initial conditions influence neutron generation from interactions between high-intensity, short-pulse lasers and deuterium oxide (D2O) targets. Several initial conditions were investigated, including the target thickness, target temperature, and chamber background pressure. Additional features were added such as heating profiles to mimic laser pre-pulse heating within the target. Findings indicate that these initial conditions play a significant role in neutron yield. Future work will further explore initial conditions and work towards benchmarking simulation results with experimental data to enhance neutron production for real-world applications.