Generation of deuterium-tritium neutrons by spherical heating of a solid target with high-power laser radiation

The results are given of time-of-flight measurements of the spectrum of neutrons generated by spherical heating of a (CD₂)_n target by the radiation of a nine-channel laser unit. It is reported that neutrons corresponding to the reaction D(t, n)He⁴ are generated in the laser plasma. A method is suggested for the determination of the degree of compression of the plasma from the numbers of the DT and DD neutrons formed in the plasma.