Simulating supernova remnants, star formation in earthbound lab
High-power laser, foam ball show how blast waves from supernova remnant
might trigger star formation in a molecular cloud

Date:
April 12, 2022
Source:
American Institute of Physics
Summary:
When triggered by some external agent, shockwaves can propagate
through molecular clouds of gas and dust to create pockets of dense
material. At a certain limit, that dense gas and dust collapses
and begins to form new stars. Researchers modeled this interaction
using a high-power laser and a foam ball. The foam ball represents
a dense area within a molecular cloud. The high-power laser creates
a blast wave that propagates through a surrounding chamber of gas
and into the ball, where the team observed the compression using
X-ray images.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Molecular clouds are collections of gas and dust in space. When left
alone, the clouds remain in their state of peaceful equilibrium.


==========================================================================
But when triggered by some external agent, like supernova remnants,
shockwaves can propagate through the gas and dust to create pockets of
dense material. At a certain limit, that dense gas and dust collapses
and begins to form new stars.

Astronomical observations do not have high enough spatial resolution
to observe these processes, and numerical simulations cannot handle
the complexity of the interaction between clouds and supernova
remnants. Therefore, the triggering and formation of new stars in this
way remains mostly shrouded in mystery.

In Matter and Radiation at Extremes, by AIP Publishing in partnership with China Academy of Engineering Physics, researchers from the Polytechnic Institute of Paris, the Free University of Berlin, the Joint Institute
for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, the University of Oxford, and Osaka University modeled
the interaction between supernova remnants and molecular clouds using
a high-power laser and a foam ball.

The foam ball represents a dense area within a molecular cloud. The
high-power laser creates a blast wave that propagates through a
surrounding chamber of gas and into the ball, where the team observed
the compression using X-ray images.

"We are really looking at the beginning of the interaction," said author
Bruno Albertazzi. "In this way, you can see if the average density of
the foam increases and if you will begin to form stars more easily."
The mechanisms for triggering star formation are interesting on a number
of scales. They can impact the star formation rate and evolution of a
galaxy, help explain the formation of the most massive stars, and have consequences in our own solar system.

"Our primitive molecular cloud, where the sun was formed, was probably triggered by supernova remnants," said author Albertazzi. "This experiment opens a new and promising path for laboratory astrophysics to understand
all these major points." While some of the foam compressed, some of it
also stretched out. This changed the average density of the material,
so in the future, the authors will need to account for the stretched
mass to truly measure the compressed material and the shockwave's impact
on star formation. They plan to explore the influence of radiation,
magnetic field, and turbulence.

"This first paper was really to demonstrate the possibilities of this new platform opening a new topic that could be investigated using high-power lasers," said Albertazzi.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Institute_of_Physics. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. B. Albertazzi, P. Mabey, Th. Michel, G. Rigon, J. R. Marque`s,
S. Pikuz,
S. Ryazantsev, E. Falize, L. Van Box Som, J. Meinecke, N. Ozaki, G.

Gregori, M. Koenig. Triggering star formation: Experimental
compression of a foam ball induced by Taylor-Sedov blast
waves. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2022; 7 (3): 036902 DOI:
10.1063/5.0068689 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220412141014.htm

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