AUTHOR=Consoli Fabrizio , De Angelis Riccardo , Andreoli Pierluigi , Bonasera Aldo , Cipriani Mattia , Cristofari Giuseppe , Di Giorgio Giorgio , Giulietti Danilo , Salvadori Martina 

TITLE=Diagnostic Methodologies of Laser-Initiated 11B(p,α)2α Fusion Reactions

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physics

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physics/articles/10.3389/fphy.2020.561492

DOI=10.3389/fphy.2020.561492

ISSN=2296-424X

ABSTRACT=<p>The detection of the ionic products of low-rate fusion reactions, and in particular of the <sup>11</sup>B(<italic>p</italic>,α)2α, is one of the recognized main problems in experiments where these reactions are initiated by tailored interaction of intense and high-energy lasers with matter. A thorough description of this important issue, with a critical comparison of the diagnostic opportunities, is indeed so far. In this work, we describe the common diagnostic methodologies used for the detection of the alpha particles generated by the <sup>11</sup>B(<italic>p</italic>,α)2α reaction and, for each, we outline advantages and limitations, with considerations that can also be applied to other low-rate fusion reactions. We show here that, in general, the univocal characterization of the α products coming from this reaction can be achieved by the simultaneous use of several diagnostic tools placed in close proximity.</p>