Modeling Astrophysical Phenomena in the Laboratory with Intense Lasers

Abstract

Astrophysical research has traditionally been divided into observations and theoretical modeling or a combination of both. A component sometimes missing has been the ability to quantitatively test the observations and models in an experimental setting where the initial and final states are well characterized. Intense lasers are now being used to recreate aspects of astrophysical phenomena in the laboratory, allowing the creation of experimental test beds where observations and models can be quantitatively compared with laboratory data. Experiments are under development at intense laser facilities to test and refine our understanding of phenomena such as supernovae, supernova remnants, gamma-ray bursts, and giant planets.

On the origin of super-hot electrons from intense laser interactions with solid targets having moderate scale length preformed plasmas

“…Over the last decade, laser facilities with peak intensity I > 10 20 W cm 2 have enabled the study of a variety of exciting applications including ion acceleration 1-3 , x-ray generation 4,5 , and laboratory astrophysics 6,7 . These applications are driven by the relativistic electron beams generated by ultraintense short pulse lasers interacting with plasma and, in general, are enhanced by maximizing the hot electron current and energies.…”

Turbulent amplification of magnetic fields in laboratory laser-produced shock waves

“…In situ magnetic field measurements are made in the turbulent wake of the shock. Using hydrodynamic scaling relations 17,18 , our experimental conditions at 0.3 µs after the laser illumination can be scaled to Cassiopeia A signal to noise (SNR) with a probable age t SNR of approximately 310 years, an expansion velocity v SNR of about 4,700 km s −1 and a deceleration parameter v SNR t SNR /R SNR , where R SNR is the shock radius, of about 0.6 (ref . 2; see Supplementary Information for the description of the scaling relations, and Supplementary Table 1).…”

Observations of Electromagnetic Fields and Plasma Flow in Hohlraums with Proton Radiography

“…Hohlraums have been extensively used as radiation sources or platforms for a wide range of basic and applied physics experiments. In studies of laboratory astrophysics and highenergy-density (HED) physics [3,4], for example, hohlraums are used for creating and simulating various extreme HED conditions, including those of stellar and planetary interiors. The hohlraum radiation field is used to compress spherical capsules, through capsule ablation, to high temperature and density in indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion [1,2].…”

“…ce is the electron gyrofrequency and is the collision time [10,11]. E fields may modify the plasma conditions and, if sufficiently large, could enhance thick-target bremsstrahlung at x-ray energies well above the Planckian background.For low-intensity laser drive, such as used in most hohlraum experiments [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9], the dominant source for B-field generation is expected to be nonparallel electron density (n e ) and temperature (T e ) gradients (rn e  rT e ) [10,11]. The E field is expected to result from electron pressure gradients (rP e ) [10,11].…”