Direct observation of strong ion coupling in laser-driven shock-compressed targets.
In this Letter we report on a near collective x-ray scattering experiment on shock-compressed targets. A highly coupled Al plasma was generated and probed by spectrally resolving an x-ray source forward scattered by the sample. A significant reduction in the intensity of the elastic scatter was observed, which we attribute to the formation of an incipient long-range order. This speculation is confirmed by x-ray scattering calculations accounting for both electron degeneracy and strong coupling effects. Measurements from rear side visible diagnostics are consistent with the plasma parameters inferred from x-ray scattering data. These results give the experimental evidence of the strongly coupled ionic dynamics in dense plasmas.
Ravasio
A
A
Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation de Lasers Intenses, UMR7605, CNRS-CEA, Université Paris VI-Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France.
Gregori
G
G
Benuzzi-Mounaix
A
A
Daligault
J
J
Delserieys
A
A
Faenov
A Ya
AY
Loupias
B
B
Ozaki
N
N
Rabec le Gloahec
M
M
Pikuz
T A
TA
Riley
D
D
Koenig
M
M