The Z Astrophysical Plasma Properties (ZAPP) Collaboration

Astrophysically-relevant laboratory plasmas with energy densities, volumes, and durations far beyond what was previously possible are being investigated using Z, a z-pinch facility at Sandia National Laboratories that generates electrical power bursts that exceed the entire world's generating capacity. The Z Astrophysical Plasma Properties (ZAPP) collaboration unites a number of universities and national labs, making use of the unique x-ray source capabilities at the Z facility to simultaneously drive four independent experiments. These experiments create plasmas with a range of conditions (T_e=10⁴ - 10⁶ K, n_e=10¹⁶ - 10²³ cm^-3) and are targeted at advancing the knowledge of (1) solar/stellar interior opacities, (2) active galactic nuclei warm-absorber photo-ionized plasmas, (3) the role of resonant Auger destruction in spectral line emission from accretion powered objects, and (4) spectral line profiles in white dwarf photospheres. These topics are diverse, but they are all heavily influenced by fundamental properties of atoms in plasmas. Our strategy is to reproduce the characteristics of astrophysical conditions as closely as possible in the laboratory and use the measurements to strengthen models for atoms in plasmas. These refined models can then be used more reliably and with greater accuracy in the astrophysics community.