Feasibility study of measuring the temperature and pressure of warm dense matter.

Abstract

We have investigated the feasibility of making accurate measurements of the temperature and pressure of solid-density samples rapidly heated by the Z-Petawatt laser to warm dense matter (WDM) conditions, with temperatures approaching 100eV. The study focused specifically on the heating caused by laser generated proton beams. Based on an extensive literature search and numerical investigations, a WDM experiment is proposed which will accurately measure temperature and pressure based on optical emission from the surface and sample expansion velocity. 4 5