OMEGA 60-Beam Laser System Helps Shed Light onto Black Hole Accretion Disks
A team of researchers from Princeton University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, First Light Fusion, the UCSD, UCLA, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Imperial College London, and LLE have harnessed the 60-beam OMEGA Laser System to simulate the conditions of a black hole accretion disk in the lab.
Accretion disks—rotating structures of material around black holes or forming stars—are vital to our understanding of cosmic phenomena. For years, scientists have sought to understand how these disks lose angular momentum and feed black holes or young stars. A key process involved is magnetorotational instability, where magnetic fields destabilize the disk, leading to turbulence and increased friction.
“These experiments are opening an unexplored frontier in high-energy-density plasmas.” —Vicente Valenzuela-Villaseca, Princeton University
Simulating this complex behavior in a laboratory setting has been challenging due to the scale and nature of these phenomena. Recent experiments using the 60-beam OMEGA laser at LLE, however, have made significant strides. Access to the 60-beam OMEGA Laser System, part of LLE’s state-of-the-art Omega Laser Facility, was provided through the National Laser Users’ Facility (NLUF) and the Laboratory Basic Science (LBS) user programs that support scientists and students from universities, industry, and national labs for basic research.
Researchers used twelve laser beams to drive the formation and collision of plasma jets, creating a rotating plasma column. This setup simulates the conditions of an accretion disk and would allow for the observation of magnetorotational instability if the system was premagnetized. The results of their experiment suggest that the plasma exhibits higher viscosity than resistivity, mirroring conditions found in the inner regions of black hole accretion disks.
This research has been featured in an invited talk by Vicente Valenzuela-Villaseca (an NLUF PI) from Princeton University at the 2024 APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) Annual Meeting. The talk showcases the ability to study cosmic phenomena in controlled laboratory settings. Valenzuela-Villaseca says, “These experiments are opening an unexplored frontier in high-energy-density plasmas. We hope to find fundamental physics key to understanding the evolution of young stars, black holes, and other compact objects in the universe.”
By leveraging the unique capabilities of the 60-beam OMEGA laser, the research team looks to bridge the gap between theoretical astrophysics and observational data. Valenzuela-Villaseca goes on to say, “We are very thankful to the NNSA NLUF and LBS programs for their continuous support for fundamental science, and the fantastic team at the LLE that makes our experiments possible.”
About the National Laser Users’ Facility
NLUF provides access to the Omega Laser Facility to a broad community of academic and industrial research interests to (1) conduct basic research in laser–matter interaction, inertial confinement fusion, and high-energy-density physics; and (2) provide research experience necessary to maintain a cadre of trained scientists to meet the nation’s needs in these areas of science and technology.
Photo by Lorianne Willett, courtesy of LaserNetUS.