Plasma Jet Creation and Collision Using a Ring of Laser Beams

Stable, supersonic cylindrical plasma jets with self-generated megagauss magnetic fields extending beyond 4 mm by irradiating a flat plastic target in a hollow ring configuration using 20 OMEGA laser beams at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester [1]. By employing two such target configurations in a single shot, we launched counter-propagating jets and investigated the formation of magnetized shocks arising from their collision. In this poster, we present detailed observations of the shock structure and evolution using targets composed of pure CH, Fe-doped CH, and iodine-doped CH. These experiments provide a controlled platform to systematically explore the role of radiative cooling in shaping the dynamics of strongly magnetized shocks.