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Equation of state measurements at Jovian or stellar conditions are currently conducted by dynamic shock compression driven by multi-kilojoule multi-beam nanosecond-duration lasers. These experiments require precise design of the target and specific tailoring of the spatial and temporal laser profiles to reach the highest pressures. At the same time, the studies are limited by the low repetition rate of the lasers. Here, we show that by the irradiation of a thin wire with single beam Joule-class short-pulse laser, a converging cylindrical shock is generated compressing the wire material to conditions relevant for the above applications. The shockwave was observed using Phase Contrast Imaging employing a hard X-ray Free Electron Laser with unprecedented temporal and spatial sensitivity. The data collected for Cu wires is in agreement with hydrodynamic simulations of an ablative shock launched by a highly-impulsive and transient resistive heating of the wire surface. The subsequent cylindrical shockwave travels towards the wire axis and is predicted to reach a compression factor of 9 and pressures above 800 Mbar. Simulations for astrophysical relevant materials underline the potential of this compression technique as a new tool for high energy density studies at high repetition rates.

Traditionally, art has been viewed as a "frill." Many schools find themselves without an art specialist or with limited access to art teachers due to budget cuts. As a consequence, the responsibility of art instruction falls on the classroom teacher. A positive attitude toward art and toward its educational value is a first major step in securing a proper place for art in the daily curriculum. This study was designed to determine elementary classroom teachers' attitudes toward art and to determine if there was a discrepancy between the teachers' reported attitudes and the time actually spent on art in the classroom. A survey was distributed to the 31 teachers in an elementary school that had limited access to an art teachers. Twenty-five surveys were returned yielding an 80.6% return rate. Overall, attitudes toward art and toward its educational value in three areas of educational significance--individual, societal, and instructional--were found to be extremely positive. While some discrepancy was noted between teachers' essentially positive attitudes toward art and the amount of time spent on art in the classroom, this may be due to other factors that are unrelated to teachers' attitudes. Teachers' reported attitudes and efforts to include art in the classroom clearly indicated that they do not view art as a "frill." (Author)