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Temperature and density measurements from stellar interior oxygen opacity experiments using K-shell spectroscopy

ORAL

Abstract

Our understanding of material opacities in stellar interiors is under scrutiny.  Oxygen is among the important contributors to opacity near the base of the solar convection zone.  Remarkably, the conditions in this region (180eV, 1e23 e/cc) are similar to some white dwarf stars.  The experimental platforms at Z and NIF previously used to study iron opacities also allow for the study of oxygen at these conditions.  Measurements of the oxygen opacity have been carried out using SiO2 samples on each platform.  For proper comparison of the experimental oxygen opacities with theoretical models, the conditions of the experimental plasma must be well known.  In this talk, we will be discussing the methods used to measure the temperature and density of the samples via Si K-shell absorption spectroscopy.

This work was supported in part by the Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties under U.S. DOE cooperative agreement number DE-NA0003843.  SNL is managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525.

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Presenters

  • Daniel C Mayes

    University of Texas - Austin, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas, Austin, University of Nevada, Reno

Authors

  • Daniel C Mayes

    University of Texas - Austin, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas, Austin, University of Nevada, Reno

  • James E Bailey

    Sandia National Laboratories

  • Taisuke Nagayama

    Sandia National Laboratories

  • Guillaume P Loisel

    Sandia National Laboratories

  • Greg Dunham

    Sandia National Laboratories

  • Stephanie B Hansen

    Sandia National Laboratories, Sandia National Lab

  • Thomas A Gomez

    Sandia National Laboratories

  • Don E Winget

    University of Texas - Austin, University of Texas at Austin

  • Michael H Montgomery

    University of Texas - Austin, University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at Austin

  • Theodore S Perry

    Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Lab, Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Robert F Heeter

    Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Kathy P Opachich

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Harry F Robey

    Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • David P Kilcrease

    Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Chris J Fontes

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • James P Colgan

    Los Alamos Natl Lab, LANL