Development of a laboratory environment to test models of supernova remnant formation

Increasingly sophisticated computational models are being used to interpret the increasingly detailed data gathered by modern observatories. This Letter reports the development of a means to verify and validate such models, with particular attention to the context of supernova remnants (SNRs). By using the Nova laser (or other high-energy density facilities), one can produce supersonic plasma ejecta in the laboratory and study their interaction with an ambient, lower density medium. The laboratory system is scaled from the local conditions within young SNRs by keeping constant the quantity velocity x time/spatial dimension. The radiation-hydrodynamic simulations used to establish and optimize the design are reported. A specific experimental implementation is described in which ejecta at similar to 100 km s(-1) are generated, driving a Mach similar to 50 forward shock through a uniform medium. The evolution of the forward and reverse shocks is observed.