Generation of high pressure shocks relevant to the shock-ignition intensity regime

An experiment was performed using the PALS laser to study laser-target coupling and laser-plasma interaction in an intensity regime <= 10(16) W/cm(2), relevant for the "shock ignition" approach to Inertial Confinement Fusion. A first beam at low intensity was used to create an extended preformed plasma, and a second one to create a strong shock. Pressures up to 90 Megabars were inferred. Our results show the importance of the details of energy transport in the overdense region. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.