Researchers at the European XFEL have made a groundbreaking advancement in the study of warm dense matter, a state of matter that exists between condensed matter and plasma physics. This innovative method allows for unprecedented accuracy in measuring the properties of this exotic state of matter, which is found in astrophysical objects and during inertial confinement fusion.
Revealing the Dark Secrets of Warm Dense Matter
Warm dense matter is a state of matter that only exists under extreme conditions found in the interior of astrophysical objects and during the implosion phase of inertial confinement fusion.
Warm dense matter usually occurs at temperatures between 5,000 and several 100,000 Kelvin, with pressures tens to hundreds of thousands times larger than atmospheric pressure. It is a difficult state to describe with the physics of condensed matter or plasma and, as such, understanding and even studying this state has been a challenge.
Scientists at the European XFEL have now come up with a new approach based on X-ray Thomson scattering that enables high-precision studies of plasmons — collective electron oscillations — in warm dense matter like none before. This work allows them finally to resolve long-standing differences between simulations and experimental measurements, offering a basis for a variety of further studies in that domain.
Groundbreaking Discoveries Come from Teamwork
This research was performed using the High Energy Density (HED) instrument at European XFEL, and is a result of collaborative efforts from scientists in CASUS and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR).
Using the HiBEF consortium (Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields) powerful drivers and the intense x-ray flashes from the European X-ray Free Electron Laser, the team at the HED instrument were able to produce these extreme conditions required for exploratory warm dense matter studies.
In parallel, scientists from CASUS and HZDR brought to the table their theoretical and computational expertise collaborating with the experimental group in order to interpret their data which helped in resolving the disagreements between theory and observations.
This unprecedented blend of front-line theory and experimental techniques has dramatically increased our ability to explore warm dense matter states, not just in astronomical objects, but also in the context of inertial confinement fusion for clean and renewable energy production.
Conclusion
The new work provides major advances in the study of warm dense matter, a state of matter that plays an important role in the study of astrophysical objects and in the development of inertial confinement fusion technology. This combined effort, using cutting-edge theoretic models and experimental diagnostic techniques, advances the frontiers of what we know about material behavior and opens new pathways for scientific discovery and technological innovation.
