Optical diagnostics of plasmas created by relativistic heavy ion beam interaction with solid targets

Summary form only given, as follows. Intense (10/sup 11/ particles) relativistic (E/spl sim/300 MeV/u) heavy ion beams are generated in the heavy-ion synchrotron (SIS) of the GSI-Darmstadt facility. By the heavy ion beam interaction with solid targets, large volumes of strongly coupled plasmas are produced at solid state densities and temperatures of up to 1 eV, with relevance for equation of state (EOS) studies, heavy-ion beam driven inertial confinement fusion and shock compression experiments. For optical investigations two different types of targets were developed: cryogenic gas crystals for EOS hydrodynamics and metal-plexiglas multi-layered targets for induced compression experiments. The plasmas created by ion beam interaction with cryogenic crystals (H/sub 2/, D/sub 2/, Ne, Kr, Xe) are mainly studied by back-lighting shadowgraphy, time-resolved spectroscopy in the visible and VUV regions, as well time resolved as energy loss spectroscopy. The pressure waves induced by the ion beams in the multi-layered targets were studied mainly by time resolved schlieren measurements. To get an insight into the plasma dynamics, both types of experiments are simulated by the BIG-2 two-dimensional hydrodynamic code. In future experiments the schlieren method will be coupled with interferometry and piezoelectric pressure gauge (PVDF) measurements for a complete characterization of the ion beam induced pressure waves. Furthermore, multi-layered targets in an optimized geometry, composed of metal plates and cryogenic gas crystals (H/sub 2/, D/sub 2/) will be used in shock compression experiments of solid hydrogen.