Observation of Forward Shocks and Stagnated Ejecta Driven by High-Energy-Density Plasma Flow

Abstract
Laboratory studies of hydrodynamic effects driven by a flowing, expanding plasma of high-energy density and high Mach number are reported. The flowing plasma is the ejecta from matter accelerated and heated by an ablative shock. X-ray backlighting diagnoses the structure produced when this plasma impacts low-density foam. We observe the forward shock driven into the foam and the stagnated ejecta which drives a reverse shock into the flow.