Full-trajectory diagnosis of laser-driven radiative blast waves in search of thermal plasma instabilities.
Experimental investigations into the dynamics of cylindrical, laser-driven, high-Mach-number shocks are used to study the thermal cooling instability predicted to occur in astrophysical radiative blast waves. A streaked Schlieren technique measures the full blast-wave trajectory on a single-shot basis, which is key for observing shock velocity oscillations. Electron density profiles and deceleration parameters associated with radiative blast waves were recorded, enabling the calculation of important blast-wave parameters including the fraction of radiated energy, epsilon, as a function of time for comparison with radiation-hydrodynamics simulations.
Moore
A S
AS
Plasma Physics Division, AWE Aldermaston, RG7 4PR. United Kingdom. alastair.moore@physics.org
Gumbrell
E T
ET
Lazarus
J
J
Hohenberger
M
M
Robinson
J S
JS
Smith
R A
RA
Plant
T J A
TJ
Symes
D R
DR
Dunne
M
M