Neutron Emission from Laser-Produced Plasmas

Abstract

Neutron emission from laser-produced plasmas is shown, experimentally, to be adequately explained by electron heating and electrostatic ion acceleration. The absence of anomalous ion-heating mechanisms is not proved, but these mechanisms, if they exist, may be unimportant in reported experiments. It is concluded that no neutrons of thermonuclear origin are necessary to explain the results obtained thus far.