GARPUN KrF-laser-target experiments and numerical simulations on the concept of laser-driven shock tube

We have suggested a concept of laser-driven shock tube (LST) for generation of hypersonic shock waves (SW) in gases and compression waves in liquids. This novel laboratory technique might be applied to the studies of various fundamental hydrodynamic phenomena such as development of hydrodynamic instabilities at contact interfaces between different liquids and gases accelerated by shock waves, hypersonic gas flow around bodies, effects of strong shock wave refraction and cumulation in time scale of several microseconds and space scale of ten millimeters. These problems are of great importance in Inertial Confinement Fusion, comsology, astrophysics, and aerospace engineering. In this paper we present both numerical simulations and first experimental results to verify the laser-driven shock tube concept for studying of strong SW generation in the air.