Platform for probing radiation transport properties of hydrogen at conditions found in the deep interiors of red dwarfs

Abstract

We describe an experimental concept at the National Ignition Facility for specifically tailored spherical implosions to compress hydrogen to extreme densities (up to [Formula: see text] solid density, electron number density [Formula: see text]) at moderate temperatures ([Formula: see text]), i.e., to conditions, which are relevant to the interiors of red dwarf stars. The dense plasma will be probed by laser-generated x-ray radiation of different photon energy to determine the plasma opacity due to collisional (free–free) absorption and Thomson scattering. The obtained results will benchmark radiation transport models, which in the case for free–free absorption show strong deviations at conditions relevant to red dwarfs. This very first experimental test of free–free opacity models at these extreme states will help to constrain where inside those celestial objects energy transport is dominated by radiation or convection. Moreover, our study will inform models for other important processes in dense plasmas, which are based on electron–ion collisions, e.g., stopping of swift ions or electron–ion temperature relaxation.

Quantum computation of stopping power for inertial fusion target design

“…WDM ( 22 , 23 ) is one such extreme regime, typified by strong Coulomb coupling and the simultaneous influence of thermal and degeneracy effects. It arises in contexts ranging from astrophysical objects ( 24 – 26 ) and planetary interiors ( 27 – 29 ) to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets on the way to ignition ( 30 – 33 ). Creating WDM conditions requires access to specialized experimental facilities ( 34 – 38 ) that produce short-lived and nonuniform samples with low repetition rates relative to experiments at ambient conditions.…”