On the possibility of laboratory shock wave studies of the equation of state of a material at gigabar pressures with beams of laser-accelerated particles

The possibility of laboratory shock wave studies of the equation of state of a material with beams of laser-accelerated charged particles at pressures an order of magnitude higher than those reached in current experiments has been discussed. The possibility of the generation of a plane quasistationary shock wave with a pressure of several gigabars behind its front at the irradiation of a target by a laser beam with an energy of several kilojoules and an intensity of about 10$^{17}$ W/cm$^2$, which is accompanied by the generation of fast electrons with an average energy of $20$–$50$ keV, has been justified.