Laboratory astrophysics using high energy lasers: Need for 2D simulation

Abstract

A certain number of experiments have been performed and planned for the future aiming to reproduce in a laboratory common astrophysical situations [1]. Among those, astrophysical jets have been the subject of elaborate studies in both theory [2] and observations [3]. Nevertheless, they still raise problems such as the jet collimation. Two different approaches have been recently proposed and investigated: Vfoil [4] and Foam filled cones [5]. We present here the numerical approach to simulate such phenomena to better understand the mechanism underneath the jet formation. Numerical simulations can serve also as useful tool to guide decisions regarding the future experiments.