Dr Nicholas Thomson

Low-energy fusion of heavy ions is a fascinating coupling-assisted quantum tunneling problem, whose understanding is crucial for advancing the synthesis of new elements and isotopes. Quantum dynamical coupled-channels calculations of laser-assisted 16O + 238U fusion are presented for both a central collision and the total fusion cross sections, suggesting that laser-nucleus interaction can enhance the average 16O + 238U fusion probability by 6-60% at sub-barrier energies using quasistatic laser fields of intensity 1027-1029 W cm-2 and photon's energy of 1 eV. Femtosecond laser pulses are shown to reduce this enhancement by many orders of magnitude.

Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) fusion is a key to generating safe, clean and limitless energy on Earth in future fusion power plants. Its understanding at low collision energies is incomplete, as D-T fusion is a quantum tunneling process affected by resonances whose origin is linked to properties of not fully understood nuclear forces. Simplified quantum dynamical calculations of laser-assisted D-T fusion are presented, suggesting that laser-nucleus interaction can enhance the average D-T fusion probability by 7 − 70% at deep subbarrier energies using laser fields of intensity 10^27 − 10^29 Wcm −2 and photon's energy of 1 eV.