X-ray astronomy in the laboratory with a miniature compact object produced by laser-driven implosion
X-ray astronomy in the laboratory with a miniature compact object produced by laser-driven implosion
复制标题
实验室中的 X 射线天文学，利用激光驱动内爆产生的微型致密物体
DOI：
10.1038/nphys1402
复制
发表时间：
2009-11-01
期刊：
影响因子：
19.6
通讯作者：
Mima, Kunioki
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Fujioka, Shinsuke;Takabe, Hideaki;Mima, Kunioki
X射线光谱学是理解极端光致电离过程的重要工具，这些过程驱动了黑洞等致密天体中非热平衡等离子体的行为(1-4)。即便如此，这些天体与地球的距离，以及无法控制或准确确定支配它们行为的条件，使得在天文X射线测量中很难解释这些特征的来源。在这里，我们描述了一个实验，它使用3TW，4kJ激光系统(6)驱动的内爆(5)来产生0.5keV的黑体辐射体，它模拟了黑洞附近存在的条件。从光致电离硅等离子体发出的X射线光谱与用钱德拉X射线卫星观测到的双星天鹅座X-3(参考文献7，8)和船帆座X-1(参考文献9-11)相似。除了证明在实验室等离子体中产生极端辐射场的能力外，我们对这些实验室光谱的理论解释与普遍接受的对天文观测中类似特征起源的解释形成了鲜明对比。我们的实验方法提供了一种强大的手段来测试和验证用于X射线天文学的计算机代码。
X-ray spectroscopy is an important tool for understanding the extreme photoionization processes that drive the behaviour of non-thermal equilibrium plasmas in compact astrophysical objects such as black holes(1-4). Even so, the distance of these objects from the Earth and the inability to control or accurately ascertain the conditions that govern their behaviour makes it difficult to interpret the origin of the features in astronomical X-ray measurements. Here, we describe an experiment that uses the implosion(5) driven by a 3 TW, 4 kJ laser system(6) to produce a 0.5 keV blackbody radiator that mimics the conditions that exist in the neighbourhood of a black hole. The X-ray spectra emitted from photoionized silicon plasmas resemble those observed from the binary stars Cygnus X-3 (refs 7, 8) and Vela X-1 (refs 9-11) with the Chandra X-ray satellite. As well as demonstrating the ability to create extreme radiation fields in a laboratory plasma, our theoretical interpretation of these laboratory spectra contrasts starkly with the generally accepted explanation for the origin of similar features in astronomical observations. Our experimental approach offers a powerful means to test and validate the computer codes used in X-ray astronomy.