Materials Science at the Extremes of Pressure and Strain Rate

Solid state experiments at very high pressures and strain rates are possible on high power laser facilities, albeit over brief intervals of time and spatial small scales. A new shockless drive has been developed on the Omega laser. VISAR measurements establish the high strain rates, 107-108 s-1. Solid-state strength is inferred using the Rayleigh-Taylor instability as a ''diagnostic''. Temperature and compression in polycrystalline samples can be deduced from EXAFS measurements. Lattice response can be inferred from time-resolved x-ray diffraction. Deformation mechanisms can be identified by examining recovered samples. We will briefly review this new area of laser-based materials science research, then present a path forward for carrying these solid-state experiments to much higher pressures, P >> 1 Mbar, on the NIF laser facility