Laboratory astrophysics
Monday, April 2, 2012 - 10:06
in Astronomy & Space
(PhysOrg.com) -- The term "laboratory astrophysics" might sound like an oxymoron; after all, how can equipment in a small room possibly simulate cosmic effects seen in the vastness of space. But in fact, much of modern astrophysics relies heavily on conclusions reached in the small setting of a controlled laboratory. Both a better understanding of the physical mechanisms at work in the universe, and the development of tools used to observe the universe, have their roots in the laboratory. Moreover, laboratory astrophysics as a discipline includes a theoretical as well as an experimental basis.