Frontiers of the physics of dense plasmas and planetary interiors: experiments, theory, applications

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent experimental and theoretical advances in understanding dense plasmas and planetary interiors, focusing on x-ray characterization techniques and their applications to planets like Jupiter and exoplanets.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of dynamic x-ray experiments on dense matter and explores their implications for planetary science and astrophysics.

Findings

Successful characterization of compressed light elements using x-ray scattering

Imaging of shocked iron to study planetary core conditions

Insights into the structure of exoplanets and Jupiter

Abstract

Recent developments of dynamic x-ray characterization experiments of dense matter are reviewed, with particular emphasis on conditions relevant to interiors of terrestrial and gas giant planets. These studies include characterization of compressed states of matter in light elements by x-ray scattering and imaging of shocked iron by radiography. Several applications of this work are examined. These include the structure of massive "Super Earth" terrestrial planets around other stars, the 40 known extrasolar gas giants with measured masses and radii, and Jupiter itself, which serves as the benchmark for giant planets.