Structure of a laser-driven radiative shock

Abstract Radiative shocks are ubiquitous in stellar environments and are characterized by high temperature plasma emitting a considerable fraction of their energy as radiation. The physical structure of these shocks is complex and experimental benchmarks are needed to provide a deeper understanding of the physics at play. In addition, experiments provide unique data for testing radiation hydrodynamics codes which, in turn, are used to model astrophysical phenomena. Radiative shocks have been studied on various high-energy laser facilities for more than a decade, highlighting the importance of radiation on the plasma dynamics. Particularly the PALS facility has focused in producing radiative shocks with typical velocities of ∼50–60 km s −1 in xenon at a fraction of a bar. In addition PALS has the unique capability of producing the most powerful XUV laser available today (21.2 nm (58.4 eV), 0.15 ns), opening the door to new diagnostics of dense plasmas. Here we present results of XUV imaging of the precursor and post-shock structure of radiative shocks generated in xenon in this facility, together with time-and-space resolved measurements of the XUV self-emission using fast diode. The experimental results are interpreted with the help of 2D ARWEN radiative hydrodynamics simulations and state-of-the art monochromatic opacities.