Study of photo-proton reactions driven by bremsstrahlung radiation of high-intensity laser generated electrons

Photo-nuclear reactions were investigated using a high power table-top laser. The laser system at the University of Jena (I ∼ 3–5×1019 W cm-2) produced hard bremsstrahlung photons (kT∼2.9 MeV) via a laser–gas interaction which served to induce (γ, p) and (γ, n) reactions in Mg, Ti, Zn and Mo isotopes. Several (γ, p) decay channels were identified using nuclear activation analysis to determine their integral reaction yields. As the laser-generated bremsstrahlung spectra stretches over the energy regime dominated by the giant dipole resonance (GDR), these yield measurements were used in conjunction with theoretical estimates of the resonance energies Eres and their widths Γres to derive the integral reaction cross-section σint(γ,p) for 25Mn, 48, 49Ti, 68Zn and 97, 98Mo isotopes for the first time. This study enabled the determination of the previously unknown cross-section ratios for these isotopes. The experiments were supported by extensive model calculations (Empire) and the results were compared to the Thomas–Reiche–Kuhn (TRK) dipole sum rule as well as to the experimental data in neighboring isotopes and good agreement was observed. The Coulomb barrier and the neutron excess strongly influence the ratios for increasing target proton and neutron numbers.