Modeling of Laser-generated Radiative Blast Waves

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/309164· OSTI ID:20217590

Keilty, K A; Liang, E P; Ditmire, T; Remington, B A; Shigemori, K; Rubenchik, A M

We simulate experiments performed with the Falcon laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to generate strong, cylindrically diverging blast waves of relevance to astrophysics. In particular, we are interested in producing and modeling radiative shocks. We compare numerical simulations with the data and with an analytic approximation to blast-wave propagation with a radiative-loss term included. Our goal is to develop a laboratory setting for studying radiative shocks of relevance to supernova remnants, gamma-ray burst afterglows, and other high-energy astrophysics phenomena. We will show that a good degree of agreement exists between the experimental data and the numerical simulations, demonstrating that it is indeed possible to generate radiative shocks in the laboratory using tabletop femtosecond lasers. In addition, we show how we can determine the energy-loss rate from the blast-wave evolution. This analytic method is independent of the exact mechanism of radiative cooling and is scalable to both the laboratory and astrophysical radiative blast waves. (c) 2000 The American Astronomical Society.

• OSTI ID: 20217590
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 538; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASTROPHYSICS
CALCULATION METHODS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ENERGY LOSSES
LASER RADIATION
SCALING LAWS
SHOCK WAVES
THEORETICAL DATA
WAVE PROPAGATION