Laboratory experiments to study astrophysical shock and jets

We describe laboratory laser-plasma experiments to form plasma jets and study jet driven shocks in an ambient gas. Particular questions that are of interest are the formation and collimation of these jets, and the relevance of experiment to astrophysical jets and shock waves. Our objective is to develop an experimental analogue to non-relativistic jets associated with Young Stellar Object. The experiments were performed with Gekko XII HIPER laser system at the Institute of Laser Engineering. Four types of targets were explored, these used flat, and hemispherical CH shell attached to a gold guide cone, a low-density foam-filled cone and stagnation plasma from an imploding hemisphere CH shell. To study jet driven shocks, a helium gas jet was used to form a low-density background gas at the rear, jet forming, surface of the target. The plasma jet and shock were measured with a Mach-Zender interferometry diagnostic, and rear-surface self-emission diagnostics. These diagnostics enable the jet shape, electron density and temperature to be inferred. All the four types of the targets produced clear jets.