CRASH Simulations of a Radiative Shock Experiment Using the ZEUS Laser

ORAL

Abstract

The ZEUS laser at the University of Michigan was developed to investigate non-linear quantum electrodynamics in relativistic plasmas. It also has a long pulse laser, which can be used to drive shocks is a radiative environment and use the short pulse laser to create a betatron source for imaging. This study uses CRASH, a radiation-hydrodynamics code developed at the University of Michigan to model radiative shocks, to design and optimize an experimental platform for ZEUS. We show the initial result of our design study driving a shock in gasses of different densities and opacities to explore the dynamics of both radiative and non-radiative shocks.

*Support for ZEUS is provided by NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Office of Multidisciplinary Activities and the Division of Physics. This work is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy NNSA Center of Excellence under cooperative agreement number DE-NA0003869 and the Predictive Sciences Academic Alliances Program in NNSA-ASC via grant DEFC52-08NA28616.

Presenters

  • Matthew Trantham

    • University of Michigan

Authors

  • Matthew Trantham

    • University of Michigan
  • Julian Kinney

    • University of Michigan
  • Carolyn C Kuranz

    • University of Michigan