Publications
Measuring opacities for high energy density matter
How does energy propagate from the solar core to the surface of the sun, where it emerges to warm the Earth? How old are the stellar systems that host the numerous exoplanets that have now been discovered outside our solar system? How does radiation penetrate and heat an inertial fusion capsule? The answers to these seemingly disparate questions hinge on knowledge of the fundamental material property that controls the absorption of radiation: opacity. Opacity plays a critical role for many high energy density (HED) systems and is highly important for the NNSA stewardship mission. In addition, laboratory astrophysics research serves as a conduit for establishing collaborations between the NNSA laboratories, between the NNSA laboratories and universities, and between the NNSA laboratories and our international partners. Exposure to open peer review sharpens the research capabilities and interactions of NNSA scientists with students and professors as a natural path for recruiting the next generation of stockpile stewards.