To learn about the properties of materials under changing temperatures and pressures, researchers typically combine laboratory experiments with theoretical models and computer simulations. It’s an iterative process: The models help in designing the experiments and interpreting the results, and the results “constrain,” or fine-tune, the models so they can effectively guide future experiments. But what if experiments alone could provide accurate, clear-cut data without needing to rely so heavily on the predictions of models? That’s the vision for a new experimental platform on Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)’s National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and highest-energy laser system. The colliding planar shock (CPS) platform promises to deliver precise measurements of the characteristics of warm dense matter (WDM), a state of matter exhibiting properties of both solids and plasmas.
