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K.A. Keilty, E.P. Liang (Rice University), B.A. Remington, M.J. Edwards (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), T. Ditmire (University of Texas, Austin)
The goal of laser astrophysics is to provide a means by which aspects of specific astrophysical phenomena can be reproduced in the laboratory. The hydrodynamic instabilities of early supernova remnants have already been studied using this method. However, the role of significant radiative losses in shock propagation (for example, in late-term remnants) has only been imperfectly modeled. This presentation describes an improved analytic approach to blast-wave evolution which includes the energy-loss rate from the shock front. Because this method is independent of the exact method of cooling, it is appropriate for both the laboratory and astrophysical regimes. In addition, we include results obtained from modeling radiative blast waves produced by a table-top laser, both in one and two dimensions. These simulations are compared to astrophysical simulations in order to determine correct scaling between radiative processes in the lab and in an astrophysical shock. These results will allow for better design of laser-based experiments with further applications to such astrophysical phenomena as supernova remnants, gamma-ray bursts and stellar jets. An additional contribution is the increase in an understanding of the challenges involved in scaling radiative phenomena between laboratory experiments and astrophysical theory.
KAK acknowledges partial support from LLNL Contract B510243 for this work.