Link between laboratory and astrophysical radiative shocks

TL;DR

This paper derives analytical solutions for the structure of radiative shocks in astrophysics and laboratory settings, comparing their features and proposing future experimental validation using X-ray diagnostics.

Contribution

It provides a unified analytical framework for radiative shocks in different environments, including modifications for precursors and plans for experimental validation.

Findings

Analytical solutions for post-shock structures in optically thin media.

Comparison of astrophysical and laboratory radiative shocks.

Proposal for future X-ray diagnostic experiments.

Abstract

This work provides analytical solutions describing the post-shock structure of radiative shocks growing in astrophysics and in laboratory. The equations including a cooling function $\Lambda \propto \rho^{\epsilon} P^{\zeta} x^{\theta}$ are solved for any values of the exponents $\epsilon$, $\zeta$ and $\theta$. This modeling is appropriate to astrophysics as the observed radiative shocks arise in optically thin media. In contrast, in laboratory, radiative shocks performed using high-power lasers present a radiative precursor because the plasma is more or less optically thick. We study the post-shock region in the laboratory case and compare with astrophysical shock structure. In addition, we attempt to use the same equations to describe the radiative precursor, but the cooling function is slightly modified. In future experiments we will probe the PSR using X-ray diagnostics. These new experimental results will allow to validate our astrophysical numerical codes.