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Laser-driven shock compression enables an experimental study of phase transitions at unprecedented pressures and temperatures. One example is the shock Hugoniot of magnesium oxide (MgO), which crosses the B1–B2-liquid triple point at 400–600 GPa, 10 000–13 000 K (0.86–1.12 eV). MgO is a major component within the mantles of terrestrial planets and has long been a focus of high-pressure research. Here, we combine time-resolved velocimetry and pyrometry measurements with a decaying shock platform to obtain pressure–temperature data on MgO from 300 to 1500 GPa and 9000 to 50 000 K. Pressure–temperature–density Hugoniot data are reported at 1500 GPa. These data represent the near-instantaneous response of an MgO [100] single crystal to shock compression. We report on a prominent temperature anomaly between 400 and 460 GPa, in general agreement with previous shock studies, and draw comparison with equation-of-state models. We provide a detailed analysis of the decaying shock compression platform, including a treatment of a pressure-dependent optical depth near the shock front. We show that if the optical depth of the shocked material is larger than 1 μm, treating the shock front as an optically thick gray body will lead to a noticeable overestimation of the shock temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raymond F. Smith, a former Senior Foreign Service member, offers insights on improving American diplomacy by prioritizing US interests, listening more, and leading by example. He suggests that the US should avoid conflating its interests with those of allies, like in the cases of Ukraine and the Middle East. Smith advocates for a more restrained and strategic approach to foreign policy, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting other countries' perspectives. His recommendations aim to enhance US diplomacy and promote a more effective and sustainable international system. [Extracted from the article]

Laser-shock compression experiments at 3rd and 4th generation light sources generally employ phase plates, which are inserted into the beamline to achieve a repeatable intensity distribution at the focal plane. Here, the laser intensity profile is characterized by a high-contrast, high-frequency laser speckle. Without sufficient smoothing, these laser non-uniformities can translate to a significant pressure distribution within the sample layer and can affect data interpretation in x-ray diffraction experiments. Here, we use a combination of one- and two-dimensional velocity interferometry to directly measure the extent to which spatial frequencies within the laser focal spot intensity pattern are smoothed out during propagation within the laser plasma and a polyimide ablator. We find that the use of thicker polyimide layers results in spatially smoother shock fronts, with the greatest degree of smoothing associated with the highest spatial frequencies. Focal spots with the smallest initial speckle separation produce the most rapid smoothing. Laser systems that employ smoothing by spectral dispersion techniques to rapidly modulate the focal plane intensity distribution are shown to be the most effective ones in producing a spatially smooth shock front. We show that a simple transport model combined with the known polyimide Hugoniot adequately describes the extent of shock smoothness as a function of polyimide thickness. Our results provide a description of spatial structure smoothing across a shock front, which can be used to design targets on x-ray free electron laser facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "PanAm 103 and Embassy Moscow: A Country Team at Work" discusses the decision-making process within the US embassy in Moscow following a terrorist attack on Pan American Airlines Flight 103 in 1988. The embassy received unconfirmed information about a potential terrorist attack on a US airliner, leading to a discussion on how to disseminate this information to US citizens in Moscow. Ultimately, the embassy decided to post the information on the bulletin board in the cafeteria frequented by non-US government Americans in Moscow. The decision was defended by Raymond F. Smith, who was centrally involved in the process, as an example of how a country team is supposed to function. [Extracted from the article]

The phase diagram of sodium chloride (NaCl) under laser shock compression has been studied at Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the x-ray free-electron laser facility. Both solid–solid (B1 → B2) and solid–liquid (B2 → liquid) transitions have been observed along the Hugoniot over nanosecond time scales. By combining structural measurements through in situ x-ray diffraction, pressure determination through velocimetry, and a thermal equation-of-state, the shock-compressed data are used to constrain the phase diagram of NaCl. Transformation into the B2 phase is found to occur at 28(2) GPa, and B2–liquid coexistence is observed between 54(4) and 66(6) GPa, with near full melt at 66(6) GPa. Late-time pressure release from an initial shocked B2-state results in a B2 → B1 back transformation. Our results show agreement with previous static compression data, suggesting that the time scale for melting is very rapid and that equilibrium states in NaCl are being accessed over nanosecond time scales. A multiphase equation-of-state description of NaCl incorporated into a one-dimensional hydrocode is used to interpret pressure and temperature evolution over these rapid time scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies show a face-centered cubic (fcc) to body-centered cubic (bcc) transformation along the shock Hugoniot for several metals (i.e., Cu, Au, and Ag). Here, we combine laser-shock compression of Cu foils on nanosecond timescales with in situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) to examine the microstructural changes with stress. We study the fcc phase and the phase transition from fcc to bcc (pressures greater than 180 GPa). Textural analysis of the azimuthal intensities from the XRD images is consistent with transformation into the bcc phase through the Pitsch-distortion mechanism. We use embedded atom model molecular dynamics simulations to determine the stability of the bcc phase in pressure–temperature space. Our results indicate that the bcc phase is stabilized only at high temperatures and remains stable at pressures greater than 500 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining an x-ray free electron laser with a high-power laser driver enables the study of equations-of-state, high strain-rate deformation processes, structural phase transitions, and transformation pathways as a function of pressure to hundreds of GPa along different thermodynamic compression paths. Future high repetition-rate laser operation will enable data to be accumulated at >1 Hz, which poses a number of experimental challenges, including the need to rapidly replenish the target. Here, we present a combined shock compression and an x-ray diffraction study on epoxy (50% vol.)-crystalline grains (50% vol.) slurry targets, which can be fashioned into extruded ribbons for high repetition-rate operation. For shock-loaded NaCl-slurry samples, we observe pressure, density, and temperature states within the embedded NaCl grains consistent with observations from shock-compressed single-crystal NaCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a structural study of shock-compressed states in Ag to 331 GPa, accessed via laser shock compression. Structures of the resulting crystalline phases and the average atomic distribution of the liquid state are determined using in situ x-ray diffraction. We employ structure factor analysis, adapted for a non-monochromatic x-ray source, to determine the density of the liquid phase from analysis of x-ray diffraction data for the first time in shock compressed Ag. We also present a detailed analysis of the crystalline phases, which shows good agreement with the phase boundaries reported in previous experimental and theoretical works. We utilize the whole powder pattern fitting approach implemented in the MAUD package to constrain stacking faults in the face centered cubic structure. We observe the ambient fcc structure up to a stress of 146 GPa before a transition to a body-centered cubic structure and liquid phase at 179 GPa, with full melting above 212 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the role of diplomacy in ending wars, particularly addressing the challenges and strategies related to ending the war in Ukraine. Topics include the historical examples of wars ending through negotiation or capitulation, the motivations of leaders such as Napoleon and Hitler, and the potential negotiation options for resolving the conflict in Ukraine with a focus on security concerns and territorial disputes.

This report details the analyses and related uncertainties in measuring longitudinal-stress–density paths in indirect laser-driven ramp equation-of-state (EOS) experiments [Smith et al., Nat. Astron. 2(6), 452–458 (2018); Smith et al., Nature 511(7509), 330–333 (2014); Fratanduono et al., Science 372(6546), 1063–1068 (2021); and Fratanduono et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 124(1), 015701 (2020)]. Experiments were conducted at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The NIF can deliver up to 2 MJ of laser energy over 30 ns and provide the necessary laser power and control to ramp compress materials to TPa pressures (1 TPa = 10 × 106 atmospheres). These data provide low-temperature solid-state EOS data relevant to the extreme conditions found in the deep interiors of giant planets. In these experiments, multi-stepped samples with thicknesses in the range of 40–120 µm experience an initial shock compression followed by a time-dependent ramp compression to peak pressure. Interface velocity measurements from each thickness combine to place a constraint on the Lagrangian sound speed as a function of particle velocity, which in turn allows for the determination of a continuous stress–density path to high levels of compressibility. In this report, we present a detailed description of the experimental techniques and measurement uncertainties and describe how these uncertainties combine to place a final uncertainty in both stress and density. We address the effects of time-dependent deformation and the sensitivity of ramp EOS techniques to the onset of phase transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses that authoritarian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Mohammed bin Salman have drawn lessons from Soviet Union's leader late Mikhail Gorbachev that economic reform and political reform cannot be allowed to go hand in hand. The death of Gorbachev has revived interest in his legacy, who was praised by the West for his reforms and role in bringing the cold war to an end.

We describe a soft-x-ray laser interferometry technique that allows two-dimensional diagnosis of plasma electron density with picosecond time resolution. It consists of the combination of a robust high-throughput amplitude-division interferometer and a 14.7-nm transient-inversion soft-x-ray laser that produces ~5-ps pulses. Because of its picosecond resolution and short-wavelength scalability, this technique has the potential for extending the high inherent precision of soft-x-ray laser interferometry to the study of very dense plasmas of significant fundamental and practical interest, such as those investigated for inertial confinement fusion. Results of its use in the diagnostics of dense large-scale laser-created plasmas are presented. OCIS codes: 350.5400, 140.7240, 120.3180, 340.7450.

A new approach for performing quantitative structure-factor analysis and density measurements of liquids using X-ray diffraction with a pink-spectrum X-ray source is described. The methodology corrects for the pink beam effect by performing a Taylor series expansion of the diffraction signal. The mean density, background scale factor, peak X-ray energy about which the expansion is performed, and the cutoff radius for density measurement are estimated using the derivative-free optimization scheme. The formalism is demonstrated for a simulated radial distribution function for tin. Finally, the proposed methodology is applied to experimental data on shock compressed tin recorded at the Dynamic Compression Sector at the Advanced Photon Source, with derived densities comparing favorably with other experimental results and the equations of state of tin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megabar (1 Mbar = 100GPa) laser shocks on precompressed samples allow reaching unprecedented high densities and moderately high ~103-104 K temperatures. We describe here a complete analysis framework for the velocimetry (VISAR) and pyrometry (SOP) data produced in these experiments. Since the precompression increases the initial density of both the sample of interest and the quartz reference for pressure-density, reflectivity, and temperature measurements, we describe analytical corrections based on available experimental data on warm dense silica and density-functional-theory based molecular dynamics computer simulations. Using our improved analysis framework, we report a re-analysis of previously published data on warm dense hydrogen and helium, compare the newly inferred pressure, density, and temperature data with most advanced equation of state models and provide updated reflectivity values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response of forsterite, Mg2SiO4, under dynamic compression is of fundamental importance for understanding its phase transformations and high‐pressure behavior. Here, we have carried out an in situ X‐ray diffraction study of laser‐shocked polycrystalline and single‐crystal forsterite (a‐, b‐, and c‐orientations) from 19 to 122 GPa using the Matter in Extreme Conditions end‐station of the Linac Coherent Light Source. Under laser‐based shock loading, forsterite does not transform to the high‐pressure equilibrium assemblage of MgSiO3 bridgmanite and MgO periclase, as has been suggested previously. Instead, we observe forsterite and forsterite III, a metastable polymorph of Mg2SiO4, coexisting in a mixed‐phase region from 33 to 75 GPa for both polycrystalline and single‐crystal samples. Densities inferred from X‐ray diffraction data are consistent with earlier gas‐gun shock data. At higher stress, the response is sample‐dependent. Polycrystalline samples undergo amorphization above 79 GPa. For [010]‐ and [001]‐oriented crystals, a mixture of crystalline and amorphous material is observed to 108 GPa, whereas the [100]‐oriented forsterite adopts an unknown phase at 122 GPa. The first two sharp diffraction peaks of amorphous Mg2SiO4 show a similar trend with compression as those observed for MgSiO3 in both recent static‐ and laser‐driven shock experiments. Upon release to ambient pressure, all samples retain or revert to forsterite with evidence for amorphous material also present in some cases. This study demonstrates the utility of femtosecond free‐electron laser X‐ray sources for probing the temporal evolution of high‐pressure silicate structures through the nanosecond‐scale events of shock compression and release. Key Points: The phases occurring along the Hugoniots of forsterite are identified from 19 to 122 GPaBetween 33 and 75 GPa, forsterite and forsterite III coexist for both single‐crystal and polycrystalline samplesAt higher shock stress, variable degrees of amorphization are observed with different onset stresses for polycrystals and single crystals [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a situation where Shirley Temple, who served as a U.S. ambassador, invited the Soviet consul general to her home for Thanksgiving. It mentions the due to restrictions on Soviet diplomats visiting certain areas in the U.S., the State Department would not grant an exception. It highlight the author, faced with a dilemma, had to uphold the policy of reciprocity and hope that the Soviet consul general would be unable to attend.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including American Diplomacy and the editor's gratitude towards the previous editor while introducing himself as a former Foreign Service officer and author.

The article presents a study on crystal structure and equation of state of iron-silicon alloys at super-Earth core conditions. It combine laser-driven dynamic ramp compression with in situ x-ray diffraction to study the effect of composition on the crystal structure and density of the alloys. The study allow for direct determination of the effects of light elements on core radius, density, and pressures for these planets.

Monolithic porous bulk materials have many promising applications ranging from energy storage and catalysis to high energy density physics. High resolution additive manufacturing techniques, such as direct laser writing via two photon polymerization (DLW-TPP), now enable the fabrication of highly porous microlattices with deterministic morphology control. In this work, DLW-TPP is used to print millimeter-sized foam reservoirs (down to 0.06 g cm−3) with tailored density-gradient profiles, where density is varied by over an order of magnitude (for instance from 0.6 to 0.06 g cm−3) along a length of <100 µm. Taking full advantage of this technology, however, is a multiscale materials design problem that requires detailed understanding of how the different length scales, from the molecular level to the macroscopic dimensions, affect each other. The design of these 3D-printed foams is based on the brickwork arrangement of 100 × 100 × 16 µm3 log-pile blocks constructed from sub-micrometer scale features. A block-to-block interdigitated stitching strategy is introduced for obtaining high density uniformity at all length scales. Finally, these materials are used to shape plasma-piston drives during ramp-compression of targets under high energy density conditions created at the OMEGA Laser Facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]