HIGH-INTENSITY SHOCK-WAVES AND THE EXTREM E STATES OF MATTER

The modern results of investigation of physical properties of matter a t extremely high pressure and temperature are presented. The high inte nsity shock waves techniques are used for compression and an irreversi ble heating of a dense plasma in shock and rarefaction waves. The clas sification of plasma states are discussed and modern theoretical model s of strongly coupled hot matter are described. The specific peculiari ties of the dynamical experiments are discussed in connection with nuc lear and chemical methods of shock waves generation. The shock and rar efaction waves experiments give a new information on thermodynamical a nd optical properties of strongly coupled plasmas. The problems of ''p lasma'' and ''metal - insulator'' phase transitions high temperature e vaporation are discussed. The attention was paid to the effect of disc rete spectrum on thermodynamics of strongly coupled plasmas.