Oxford Centre for High Energy Density Science (OxCHEDS)

Abstract:

Low-density foams are of significant interest in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), with potential applications as fuel carriers, ablation layers, or as a hohlraum filling material. Despite their potential, the shock response of these materials remains poorly characterised, limiting the accuracy of hydrodynamic simulations. Here we report experimental measurements of the equation of state (EOS) for 90 mg/cm3 silica (SiO2) aerogel foam under laser-driven shock compression, conducted at the GEKKO XII laser facility. Shock pressures between 50 and 160 GPa were achieved, and the corresponding states were determined using standard impedance matching techniques with a quartz reference material. Initial measurements appeared to underestimate the foam shock velocity relative to predictions by the Quotidian Equation of State (QEOS) model. Experimental diagnostics indicated the presence of a vacuum gap between the reference material and the foam. The vacuum gaps were characterised, and one-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations were conducted to estimate their impact on the measured shock velocity. After applying simulation-based corrections, the experimental Hugoniot aligns closely with QEOS predictions, supporting the model’s applicability to low-density foams.