Laboratory experiments replicate volatile plasma at the center of galaxy clusters

The researchers created a replica of the plasma conditions expected to occur in galaxy clusters. The team used laser beams to vaporize plastic foils and generate turbulent and magnetized plasma, demonstrating the turbulent dynamo mechanism that results in magnetic field amplification in a lab environment for the first time.

"This work opens a new, experimental path to addressing a long-standing astrophysical question: Why are the cores of galaxy clusters so hot, despite the copious amounts of radiation they emit?" asked Petros Tzeferacos, a co-author of the study. "Accounting for this energy budget will help us understand how galaxy clusters evolve and how their large-scale structure is set up."

The experiments conducted at the National Ignition Facility and the associated simulations demonstrate how laboratory explorations can help the understanding of astrophysical systems, plasma physics, and the behavior of magnetized and turbulent plasma.

Originally published on NSF