Thermal Emission and Reflectivity of Shocked SiO₂ Aerogel for Broadband Optical Probing

The thermodynamic behavior of shock-compressed SiO₂ was studied over a broad density and temperature range using low-density aerogels. Temperature and reflectance measurements were performed on singly shocked SiO₂ at initial densities of 0.3 (silica aerogel), 0.2, and 0.11 g/cm³. This work generated a radiance model for pragmatic experimental design and extends the capability of SiO₂ as a thermodynamic calibrant for high-energy-density–physics experiments.