DD Fusion from Laser Interaction with Polarized HD Targets

Abstract

Recently, we have proposed an experiment to test the persistence of the polarization in a fusion process $\mathrm{D}(\mathrm{D}, {}^3\mathrm{He})\mathrm{n}$, using a powerful laser hitting a polarized HD target. The purpose of the present contribution is to examine in more detail the experimental constrains, to move from a principle proposal to a doable experiment. Some of the difficulties are as follows: production of a windowless cryogenic HD target and target cryostat vacuum breakdown, identification of thermal fusion or accelerated deuterons inducing nuclear reactions, and finally, a clear signature of the polarization persistence of the fused deuterons must be found. Those points will be discussed and other recent approahes to test the polarization persistence in fusion processes will be briefly reviewed.