Laboratory experiments of radiative shocks in the context of stellar accretion

International audience; High-energy lasers are used to simulate astrophysical phenomena in the laboratory. The PALS laser facility, with a typical irradiance of 10 14 W.cm −2 , allows in particular to produce radiative shocks in high atomic number gases. The system is optimized for reaching conditions where the shock is radiative, i.e. it presents a "radiative precursor". This kind of shock is expected to occur during various astrophysical accretion processes. We present preliminary experimental results with emphasis on two diagnostics, namely the study of the laser impact on the target and an instantaneous imaging using an X-ray laser.