Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications 2005
J.-C. Gauthier, et al.
J. Phys. IV France 133 (2006) 1039-1041
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:2006133210

Radiative shocks: New results for laboratory astrophysics

T. Vinci¹, M. Koenig¹, A. Benuzzi-Mounaix¹, N. Ozaki¹, A. Ravasio¹, L. Boireau^{2, 3}, C. Michaut², S. Bouquet³, S. Atzeni⁴, A. Schiavi⁴ and O. Peyrusse<sup>5

1</sup>  LULI, École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
²  LUTH UMR 8102, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon, France
³  Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique, 91680 Bruyères-le-Châtel, France
⁴  Dipartimento di Energetica, Università di Roma La Sapienza and INFM, Italy
⁵  CELIA, UMR 5107 Université Bordeaux 1, CEA-CNRS, 33405 Talence, France

Abstract
In the framework of the Laboratory Astrophysics, we present new radiative shocks experiments performed using the LULI2000 facility. A strong shock is driven in a multi-layered solid target (CH-Ti-CH) which accelerates into a gas cell ( km/s) filled with Xenon at low pressure (0.1 - 0.3 bar) and produces a radiative supercritical shock [4, 8].

A low power laser beam (8 ns - 532 nm) probes the Xenon gas in the transverse direction and is injected into a VISAR and on two optical framing cameras (GOI). These diagnostics allow to determine electron density variation, to measure both precursor and shock velocities along the shock propagation axis [3, 5] as well as the 2D shape of the shock.

On rear side, the light emitted from the shocked Xenon is imaged onto the slit of a streak camera. An absolute calibration of the optical system allows to determine the brightness temperature [8]. Data were obtained for different laser intensities and gas pressures. Two VISARs on rear side allowed an accurate measurement of the shock conditions in the pusher before the breakout in the Xenon.

Comparison between 1D (MULTI) and 2D (DUED [1, 2]) radiative hydrodynamic codes and measured quantities (shock velocity, shape, radial expansion, and temperature as well as precursor velocity and precursor electron density) are presented.

© EDP Sciences 2006