Overview of dynamic compression experiments at the National Ignition Facility

Dynamic compression experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) explore the behavior of materials under extreme pressure, temperature, and density conditions, replicating environments found in planetary interiors, inertial confinement fusion experiments, and stellar phenomena. We use the high power and energies available at the NIF to generate shock waves that compress materials to megabar and gigabar pressures, enabling precise measurements of their physical and thermodynamic properties over a broad range of conditions. This presentation provides an overview of experimental platforms currently exercised at the NIF, recent results, and future platforms and diagnostics that are under development. Prepared by LLNL under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-2006025