New experimental possibilities for measuring radiative opacity under conditions in the Sun's interior

Opacity experiments that have been conducted to date using long-pulse (nanosecond) high-power lasers have reached conditions similar in density and temperature to those found in the outer part of the radiative flow region of the Sun. Experiments using short-pulse (picosecond) lasers are beginning to give access to conditions halfway to the Sun's centre. In this paper we describe a preliminary design of an opacity experiment that uses a combination of long and short-pulse laser beams to compress and heat the plasma and thereby access conditions similar to those at the centre of the Sun