Speaker
Description
Hydrogen- and deuterium-containing thin films are widely used across the nuclear physics community as
accelerator targets for studying a variety of nuclear reactions involving protons and neutrons, which can
often provide great insight into numerous astrophysical processes. Polyethylene (C2H4)n or CH2 for short,
and deuterated polyethylene (C2D4)n or CD2 are typically utilized for these studies as they have a relatively
high hydrogen density, while still providing the advantages of a solid target. Although production methods
for these targets have been well-studied [1], there is a lack of commercial availability of these targets,
leaving researchers on their own to develop their own targets. CH2 also notably does not behave identically
to CD2 when produced via the same methods, leading to frustrating difficulties when attempting to produce
CH2 targets. CH2 and CD2 targets are also known for having relatively short lifetimes in beam, resulting in
the need for numerous replacement targets. To this end, researchers at The Arizona Carbon Foil Company
have been making advancements in both the efficiency and production volume of the previously established
solvent casting techniques for both CH2 and CD2, demonstrated here, in an effort to make both of these foils
commercially available and overall more accessible for the community.
[1] M. Febbraro, et. al. NIM B. 410, 53-59 (2017).