Laboratory Astrophysics

Physical phenomena and extreme matter conditions, as encountered in many astrophysical situations, can be reproduced at a smaller scale in the lab thanks to high-power laser facilities. It is worth mentioning for instance cataclysmic variables, supernova explosions, young star jets, stellar and planetary interiors. These experimental studies, associated with theoretical and numerical models, complement astronomical observations (telescopes, space missions, etc.). This discipline, called "Laboratory Astrophysics", was born in the 1990s in the United States and is now a pillar of the scientific programs conducted on the major laser facilities worldwide.