Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system.
Astrophysical flows exhibit rich behaviour resulting from the interplay of different forms of energy-gravitational, thermal, magnetic and radiative. For magnetic cataclysmic variable stars, material from a late, main sequence star is pulled onto a highly magnetized (B>10 MG) white dwarf. The magnetic field is sufficiently large to direct the flow as an accretion column onto the poles of the white dwarf, a star subclass known as AM Herculis. A stationary radiative shock is expected to form 100-1,000 km above the surface of the white dwarf, far too small to be resolved with current telescopes. Here we report the results of a laboratory experiment showing the evolution of a reverse shock when both ionization and radiative losses are important. We find that the stand-off position of the shock agrees with radiation hydrodynamic simulations and is consistent, when scaled to AM Herculis star systems, with theoretical predictions.
Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
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JE
Cross
Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
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G
Gregori
Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.|AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, West Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK.
J M
JM
Foster
AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, West Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK.
P
P
Graham
Service d'Astrophysique-Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM/Irfu, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
J-M
JM
Bonnet-Bidaud
CEA-DAM-DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France.
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C
Busschaert
CEA-DAM-DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France.
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N
Charpentier
Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.|AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, West Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK.
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Danson
Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.|First Light Fusion Ltd, Unit 10 Oxford Industrial Park, Mead Road, Yarnton Oxfordshire, OX5 1QU, UK.
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HW
Doyle
Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
R P
RP
Drake
AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, West Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK.
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0000-0002-3711-3469
J
Fyrth
AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, West Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK.
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ET
Gumbrell
LULI-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités-F-91128, Palaiseau Cedex, France.|Institute for Academic Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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M
Koenig
Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
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C
Krauland
Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
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CC
Kuranz
CEA-DAM-DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France.
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B
Loupias
LUTH, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 92190 Meudon, France.
C
C
Michaut
LUTH, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 92190 Meudon, France.
M
M
Mouchet
AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, West Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK.
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S
Patankar
AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, West Berkshire RG7 4PR, UK.
J
J
Skidmore
Target Fabrication Group, Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK.
C
C
Spindloe
York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DQ, UK.
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ER
Tubman
York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DQ, UK.
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N
Woolsey
LULI-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités-F-91128, Palaiseau Cedex, France.
R
R
Yurchak
Service d'Astrophysique-Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM/Irfu, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.|CEA-DAM-DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France.
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Falize