A design of a Laser-Driven Experiment Scaled to Supernova Remnants*

When a supernova erupts, the ejecta resulting from the explosion of the progenitor star expands into the surrounding circumstellar medium (CSM), forming three key elements: 1) a forward shock in the CSM, 2) a reverse shock in the ejecta, and 3) a contact discontinuity between the ejecta and the CSM. This contact discontinuity is unstable to both the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability, caused by the generation of shocks, and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability due to the higher pressure on the CSM side and lower density compared to the ejecta side. Understanding the evolution of this hydrodynamic instability is crucial for comprehending the formation of supernova remnants (SNRs).

 

We present a scaled experimental design for studying SNRs. Our design utilizes a graded-density layer to simulate the CSM. The dense side of this layer interfaces with an ablator, while the light side interfaces with a plastic layer, simulating the ejecta. This configuration effectively captures the key elements. By comparing rad-hydro simulations of the proposed experiments with the common self-similar model for SNRs, we observed good scaling between them in terms of 1D dynamics. Furthermore, we conducted 2D simulations of the proposed experiment, demonstrating that the evolution of the instability can be accurately measured within the limitations of a laser facility (OMEGA-EP). This experiment can pave the way for a platform to study SNRs across various astrophysical observations and different physical regimes.