HIGH-DENSITY PLASMA PHYSICS WITH HEAVY-ION BEAMS

The accelerator facilities at GSI Darmstadt offer a unique possibility for experiments with heavy-ion-induced dense plasmas. Although the in tensity of these heavy-ion beams is far below the regime of ICF, such beams are used to study basic physics, to develop diagnostic tools and special heavy-ion target designs. During the last years hydrodynamic motion has been induced for the first time in cryogenic crystals and m etal targets by stopping intense heavy-ion beams. In recent experiment s at the High Density Target Area a maximum specific energy deposition of 1 kJ/g in an initially solid lead target was reached. The time and spatial development of the hydrodynamic expansion after the heating p hase and the propagation of pressure waves in the target were measured . The experimental results are compared with the results of a 2-D hydr odynamic code. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.