Shock-wave physics with intense ion beams

Intense proton beams of intensity 5.4 TW/cm2(PBFA II) and I TW/cm2 (KALIF) have been focused to an area of less than 1/2 cm2. Due to the difference in proton energy; 5 MeV at PBFA II and 1.5 MeV at KALIF the specific power deposited in target is about the same for both the machines. For aluminium this value is about 100 TW/g and for CH foam it is of the order of 200 TW/g. This massive energy deposition leads to a fast vaporization and ablation of the target material and causes an intense (>100 GPa) compression wave to propagate into the unevaporated part of the target. Thin condensed targets several tens of micrometer thick can be accelerated by the ablation pressure to velocities larger than 10 km/s. These foils when impacted on stationary target generate shock waves of several hundred GPa and of about 10 ns duration. The sudden volumetric energy deposition of several MJ/g creates strongly coupled hot nonideal plasma. We investigate the dynamics of beam interaction with condensed matter at the Karlsruhe Light Ion Facility (KALIF) as well as the propagation of shock wave in the cold compressed target and show that these experiments can be used to check and formulate equation of state in the regime of strongly coupled plasma. (author)