Review of high energy density physics: The HEDgeHOB Collaboration

High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) is one of the most important and interesting areas of science that spans over numerous branches of basic and applied physics. In this paper, we present an overview of different experimental techniques that have been used to study this field over the past decades. We also introduce a recently proposed novel technique to study HEDP that involves isochoric and uniform heating of extended targets using intense particle beams. The Gesellschaft fur Schwerionenforschung (GSI), Darmstadt, is a leading laboratory worldwide that is well known for its unique accelerator facilities. The construction of a new accelerator complex named FAIR (Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research) will substantially increase the accelerator capabilities of GSI, which will make it possible to employ this new technique to study HEDP. In this paper we highlight some of the salient features of this proposed new method. We also note that in order to organize the construction of experimental facilities at FAIR and later to carry out experiments on HEDP, an international collaboration, named, HEDgeHOB (High Energy Density Matter generated by Heavy IOn Beams), has been organized. The work presented in this paper has been done within the framework of the HEDgeHOB Collaboration. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.