Warm-Dense-Matter State of Iron Generated by Intense Heavy-Ion Beams

The hydrodynamic behavior of a cylindrical solid target, heated by the intense heavy-ion beams, was simulated. The target was of the LAboratory PlAnetary Science (LAPLAS)-type geometry, as described by Tahir (LAPLAS). An iron target irradiated by the intense heavy-ion beams, with parameters available from the planned High Intensity Accelerator Facility or Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, Society for Heavy Ion Research, Darmstadt, Germany, will transform to the warm-dense state, similar to the situation that exists in the planet interior. The dependence of the achievable state of iron on the outer-shell material and beam location was investigated with Medusa-code simulations. The simulation results show that the compression of inner iron is significantly influenced by the density-to-mass ratio of the outer-shell material and the location of the beam heating. Using the LAPLAS geometry, a uranium beam of 800 MeV/u, and 1.5\times 10^{11} particles per pulse, our simulations show that the warm-dense-matter regime for iron is obtained. Details depend on the yet unknown equation of state and will be measured when this beam intensity is available in a couple of years.