Laser experiments to simulate supernova remnants

An experiment using a large laser facility to simulate young supernova remnants (SNRs) is discussed. By analogy to the SNR, the laboratory system includes dense matter that explodes, expansion and cooling to produce energetic, flowing plasma, and the production of shock waves in lower-density surrounding matter. The scaling to SNRs in general and to SN1987A in particular is reviewed. The methods and results of x-ray radiography, by which the system in diagnosed, are discussed. The data show that the hohlraum used to provide the energy for explosion does so in two ways—first, through its radiation pulse, and second, through an additional impulse that is attributed to stagnation pressure. Attempts to model these dynamics are discussed.