OBSERVATION OF NEUTRONS PRODUCED BY LASER IRRADIATION OF LITHIUM DEUTERIDE.

The observation of neutrons produced by irradiation of polycrystalline LiD targets with a high-power laser is reported. Single pulses from a mode-locked ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{+3}$-doped glass laser were amplified up to energies of 25 J. Pulse widths were 2-3 psec as measured by the two-photon fluorescence technique. The analyses of these experiments yield a somewhat higher rate of neutron production than the similar experiments recently reported by Basov et al..