Perspectives on high-energy-density physics

Abstract

Much of 21st century plasma physics will involve work to produce, understand, control, and exploit very nontraditional plasmas. High-energy-density (HED) plasmas are often examples, variously involving strong Coulomb interactions and ⪡1 particles per Debye sphere, dominant radiation effects, and strongly relativistic or strongly quantum-mechanical behavior. Indeed, these and other modern plasma systems often fall outside the early standard theoretical definitions of “plasma.” Here the specific ways in which HED plasmas differ from traditional plasmas are discussed. This is first done by comparison of important physical quantities across the parameter regime accessible by existing or contemplated experimental facilities. A specific discussion of some illustrative cases follows, including strongly radiative shocks and the production of relativistic, quasimonoenergetic beams of accelerated electrons.

Review of theoretical modelling approaches of Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities and turbulent mixing

“…Kaminow et al 1996;Choi & Chan 2002). RTI is essential to occur under extreme conditions of high-energy density (Zel'dovich & Raizer 2002;Remington et al 2006;Drake 2009), but one can still easily observe it in everyday life when looking at how salted and fresh water mix or how wine flows out from an overturned glass.…”

The TARANIS laser: A multi-Terawatt system for laser-plasma investigations

“…This is because of its strong relevance to inertial confinement fusion, where both pusher and fuel pass through the warm dense matter regime during the compression and the planetary interiors, which are believed to be in a warm dense matter state (Drake, 2009;National Research Council, 2003). There are many possible experiments that probe the properties of warm dense matter.…”

What is certain and what is not so certain in our knowledge of Rayleigh–Taylor mixing?

“…In everyday life, we observe RT mixing while looking at how water flows from an overturned cup [2,3]. Somewhat similar processes influence the formation of 'hot spot' in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), limit radial compression of imploding Z-pinches, drive penetration of stellar ejecta into pulsar wind nebula, determine momentum transfer in buoyancy-driven convection, control material transformation under impact and strongly affect reactive and supersonic flows [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”