EOS impedance matching experiments at high pressure with smoothed laser beam

High quality shock waves in the range of 10 to 50 Mbars have been obtained in laser experiments with pulse energy ≈100 J. Laser beams smoothed by Phase Zone Plates produced high quality, planar shock waves in two-step, two-material targets, allowing the simultaneous measurements of the shock velocities in the two materials. By the use of the impedance-matching technique, the relative consistency of the equations of state of these materials can be tested, or relative equation of state data can be measured. Pressures higher than 35 Mbar were achieved in gold. EOS data for copper, relative to aluminium EOS, at pressures up to 34 Mbar, have been obtained. Comparisons with preliminary Hohlraum experiments in the same range of pressure have been made.