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Updated: Mar 19, 2026
09:44
Laboratory Drop Towers for the Experimental Simulation of Dust-aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar System
Published on: June 5, 2014
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Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system
J E Cross1, G Gregori1, J M Foster1,2
1Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK.
Nature Communications
|June 14, 2016
Summary
Laboratory experiments reveal the behavior of reverse shocks in astrophysical settings. The findings align with simulations and theoretical predictions for magnetic cataclysmic variable stars.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Plasma Physics
- Laboratory Astrophysics
Background:
- Magnetic cataclysmic variable stars involve accretion onto highly magnetized white dwarfs.
- Accretion columns form due to strong magnetic fields (B>10 MG), channeling stellar material.
- A stationary radiative shock is predicted above the white dwarf surface, but is unresolvable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolution of reverse shocks in laboratory experiments.
- To study the effects of ionization and radiative losses on shock dynamics.
- To compare experimental results with radiation hydrodynamic simulations and astrophysical predictions.
Main Methods:
- Conducting laboratory experiments simulating astrophysical shock conditions.
- Utilizing radiation hydrodynamics to model shock evolution.
- Scaling experimental results to astrophysical systems like AM Herculis stars.
Main Results:
- Observed the evolution of a reverse shock under conditions of ionization and radiative losses.
- The stand-off position of the laboratory shock matches radiation hydrodynamic simulations.
- Scaled results are consistent with theoretical predictions for AM Herculis systems.
Conclusions:
- Laboratory experiments can effectively model complex astrophysical phenomena.
- The study validates theoretical models for radiative shocks in magnetized accreting white dwarfs.
- Experimental findings provide insights into unresolved shock structures in magnetic cataclysmic variables.
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