Experimental platform for the investigation of magnetized-reverse-shock dynamics in the context of POLAR. (16th July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Albertazzi, B.; Falize, E.; Pelka, A.; Brack, F.; Kroll, F.; Yurchak, R.; Brambrink, E.; Mabey, P.; Ozaki, N.; Pikuz, S.; Van Box Som, L.; Bonnet-Bidaud, J. M.; Cross, J. E.; Filippov, E.; Gregori, G.; Kodama, R.; Mouchet, M.; Morita, T.; Sakawa, Y.; Drake, R. P.; Kuranz, C. C.; Manuel, M. J.-E.; Li, C.; Tzeferacos, P.; Lamb, D.; Schramm, U.; Koenig, M.
• Is Part Of: High power laser science and engineering. Volume 6(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-07-16
• Subjects: accretion processes, -- high-power laser, -- hydrodynamics, -- laboratory astrophysics, -- polar, -- radiative shocks; High power lasers -- Periodicals; 621.366
• DOI: 10.1017/hpl.2018.37
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2095-4719

Abstract

Abstract : The influence of a strong external magnetic field on the collimation of a high Mach number plasma flow and its collision with a solid obstacle is investigated experimentally and numerically. The laser irradiation ( $I\sim 2\times 10^{14}~\text{W}\cdot \text{cm}^{-2}$ ) of a multilayer target generates a shock wave that produces a rear side plasma expanding flow. Immersed in a homogeneous 10 T external magnetic field, this plasma flow propagates in vacuum and impacts an obstacle located a few mm from the main target. A reverse shock is then formed with typical velocities of the order of 15–20 $\pm$ 5 km/s. The experimental results are compared with 2D radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations using the FLASH code. This platform allows investigating the dynamics of reverse shock, mimicking the processes occurring in a cataclysmic variable of polar type.