A. L. Mikhailov

Experimental measurements of the compressibility, temperature, and light absorption in dense shock-compressed gaseous deuterium

Experimental data on the shock compression, temperature, and absorptivity of gaseous deuterium with an initial density close to its value in the liquid state were obtained on a spherical explosion shock-wave generator in a pressure range of 80–90 GPa. The obtained results are compared with the existing experimental and theoretical data.

Measurement of quasi-isentropic compressibility of helium and deuterium at pressures of 1500–2000 GPa

The quasi-isentropic compressibility of helium and deuterium plasmas at pressures of up to 1500–2000 GPa has been measured using devices with spherical geometry and an X-ray diagnostic complex comprising three betatrons and a multichannel imaging system with electro-optic gamma detectors. A deuterium density of 4.5 g/cm3 and a helium density of 3.8 g/cm3 have been obtained at pressures of 2210 and 1580 GPa, respectively. The internal energy of a deuterium plasma at the indicated pressure is about 1 MJ/cm3, which is about 100 times greater than the specific energy of condensed chemical explosives. Analysis of the obtained data shows that the degree of helium ionization under the achieved plasma compression parameters is about 0.9.

Measurement of the compressibility of a deuterium plasma at a pressure of 1800 GPa

The thermodynamic properties of a highly compressed deuterium plasma have been measured using an explosive spherical experimental chamber. The experiment has been performed with an X-ray diffraction complex consisting of three betatrons and a multichannel optoelectronic system of the detection of X-ray images of the process of the explosive spherical compression of deuterium. The density of the shock-compressed deuterium plasma ρ = (4.3 ± 0.7) g/cm3 at the pressure P = 1830 GPa has been detected at the initial pressure of gaseous deuterium P0 = 267 atm and the temperature T0 = 10.5°C. Under such conditions, the plasma is strongly nonideal (Γ ∼ 450) with the degenerate (nλe3 ∼ 280) electron component and with an electron density of about 2.8 × 1023 cm−3.

Quasi-isentropic compression of dense gaseous helium at pressures up to 500 GPa

The thermodynamic parameters—pressure and density—of quasi-isentropically compressed helium have been measured in a pressure range of 100–500 GPa. A thermodynamic model that satisfactorily describes the behavior of strongly compressed helium in a wide range of compression parameters has been proposed.

Quasi-isentropic compressibility of a strongly nonideal deuterium plasma at pressures of up to 5500 GPa: Nonideality and degeneracy effects

We report on the experimental results on the quasi-isentropic compressibility of a strongly nonideal deuterium plasma that have been obtained on setups of cylindrical and spherical geometries in the pressure range of up to P ≈ 5500 GPa. We describe the characteristics of experimental setups, as well as the methods for the diagnostics and interpretation of the experimental results. The trajectory of metal shells that compress the deuterium plasma was detected using powerful pulsed X-ray sources with a maximal electron energy of up to 60 MeV. The values of the plasma density, which varied from ρ ≈ 0.8 g/cm3 to ρ ≈ 6 g/cm3, which corresponds to pressure P ≈ 5500 GPa (55 Mbar), were determined from the measured value of the shell radius at the instant that it was stopped. The pressure of the compressed plasma was determined using gasdynamic calculations taking into account the actual characteristics of the experimental setups. We have obtained a strongly compressed deuterium plasma in which electron degeneracy effects under the conditions of strong interparticle interaction are significant. The experimental results have been compared with the theoretical models of a strongly nonideal partly degenerate plasma. We have obtained experimental confirmation of the plasma phase transition in the pressure range near 150 GPa (1.5 Mbar), which is in keeping with the conclusion concerning anomaly in the compressibility of the deuterium plasma drawn in [1].

Quasi-isentropic compressibility of deuterium and helium at pressures of 1500–5000 GPa

The quasi-isentropic compressibilities of deuterium and helium plasmas are measured in the pressure range 1500–5000 GPa at densities up to 8 g/cm3 using spherical experimental devices and an X-ray complex consisting of three betatrons and a multichannel optoelectronic system for taking X-ray images. The experimental results demonstrate the possibilities of high-energy-density experimental physics to reproduce the extreme states of substance typical of the Universe under laboratory conditions using the energy of traditional condensed explosives.

Thermodynamic properties of a nonideal helium plasma at quasi-isentropic compression by a factor of 575 at a pressure of 3000 GPa

The quasi-isentropic compressibility of a nonideal helium plasma has been measured in a two-cascade spherical chamber with separated cavities with the use of an explosive charge with the mass of ≈55 kg. The experiment has been performed on an X-ray diffraction complex consisting of three betatrons and a multichannel optoelectronic system for recording X-ray images. The density of the compressed helium plasma measured at the initial pressures of the gas in the outer and inner cavities P1 = 36.4 MPa and P2 = 5.1 MPa, respectively, is ρ = 4.6 g/cm3, which corresponds to the degree of compression σ = 575 at pressure P≈3000 GPa under the condition of strong nonideality (γ ∼ 7) and noticeable degeneracy of electrons (nλ3 ∼ 5). The pressure of compressed helium has been determined from the results of the gas-dynamics calculation.

Measurement of the quasi-isentropic compressibility of a helium plasma at a pressure of about 5000 GPa

The quasi-isentropic compressibility of a helium plasma has been measured using a spherical experimental chamber, as well as an X-ray diffraction complex consisting of three betatrons and a multichannel optoelectronic system for the detection of X-ray images. The density of the compressed helium plasma of about 8 g/cm3 has been obtained in the experiment at a pressure of 5000 GPa. Analysis of the data indicates that helium at the measured parameters is in a single ionized state.

Measurement of density, temperature, and electrical conductivity of a shock-compressed nonideal nitrogen plasma in the megabar pressure range

Kinematic and thermodynamic parameters of shock-compressed liquid nitrogen are measured behind the front of a plane shock wave using plane wave and hemispherical shock wave generators. In these experiments, high values of compression parameters (shock-compressed hydrogen density? ≈ 3.25 g/cm3 and temperature T≈ 56000 K at a pressure of P ≈ 265 GPa) are attained. The density, pressure, temperature, and electrical conductivity of the nonideal plasma of shock-compressed liquid nitrogen are measured. A nearly isochoric behavior of the nitrogen shock adiabat is observed in the pressure range P = 100–300 GPa. The thermodynamics of shock-compressed nitrogen is an alyzed using the model of the equation of state in the quasi-chemical representation (SAHA code) as well as the semiempirical wide-range equation of state developed at the Institute of Experimental Physics. Experimental results are interpreted on the basis of calculations as the fixation of the boundary of transition of shock-compressed nitrogen from the polymer phase to the state of a strongly nonideal plasma at P ≈ 100 GPa, ? ≈ 3.4 g/cm3.

Thermodynamic parameters of helium under shock-wave and quasi-isentropic compressions at pressures up to 4800 GPa and compression ratios up to 900

The thermodynamic parameters of a strongly nonideal helium plasma obtained in experimental devices of hemispherical and spherical geometries are presented. Under shock-wave loading in the hemispherical device, the helium plasma was compressed to a density ρ ≈ 0.76 g cm–3 by a pressure P ≈ 83 GPa at a temperature T ≈ 51000 K. Two-cascade spherical experimental devices of two types were used under quasi-isentropic helium plasma compression. In the devices of the first type at the same initial gas pressure in both cavities of the shells, the helium plasma was compressed approximately by a factor of 200 to a density ρ ≈ 8 g cm–3 by a pressure P ≈ 4800 GPa. In the devices of the second type at a ratio of the initial gas pressures in the cavities of about 9: 1, the thermodynamic parameters of a nonideal helium plasma compressed by a factor of 900 to a density ρ ≈ 5 g cm–3 by a pressure P ≈ 3700 GPa were determined. The compressed-plasma pressure was determined from the results of gasdynamic computations. An X-ray radiograph consisting of three betatrons and a multichannel optoelectronic X-ray imaging system was used to determine the positions of the boundaries of the gaseous-helium-compressing steel shell.