Rp. Drake et al., DEVELOPMENT OF A LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT TO TEST MODELS OF SUPERNOVA REMNANT FORMATION, The Astrophysical journal, 500(2), 1998, pp. 157-161
Increasingly sophisticated computational models are being used to inte
rpret the increasingly detailed data gathered by modern observatories.
This Letter reports the development of a means to verify and validate
such models, with particular attention to the context of supernova re
mnants (SNRs). By using the Nova laser (or other high-energy density f
acilities), one can produce supersonic plasma ejecta in the laboratory
and study their interaction with an ambient, lower density medium. Th
e laboratory system is scaled from the local conditions within young S
NRs by keeping constant the quantity velocity x time/spatial dimension
. The radiation-hydrodynamic simulations used to establish and optimiz
e the design are reported. A specific experimental implementation is d
escribed in which ejecta at similar to 100 km s(-1) are generated, dri
ving a Mach similar to 50 forward shock through a uniform medium. The
evolution of the forward and reverse shocks is observed.