Laser-driven annular shock waves as laboratory analogues of wCDM cosmologies and cosmological gravitational waves

Cosmology faces major observational challenges arising from the spatial and temporal scales involved. Analogue experiments that recreate cosmological scenarios in the laboratory offer a valuable means to probe and better understand the current tensions in cosmological models. Here we demonstrate that the experimental evolution of an annular, laser-driven plasma shock wave, expanding over time and undergoing self-interaction gives rise to multiple shock structures that evolve analogously to a multicomponent cosmological universe. Different propagation trajectories along the shock surface correspond to various forms of wCDM cosmologies, enabling the study of scenarios ranging from simple radiation- or matter-dominated universes to those including dark energy. We further show that the dynamics of the Mach stems approximately follows a Hubble-like law. Additionally, perturbations in the shock fronts serve as experimental analogues of cosmological gravitational perturbations in a matter-dominated universe. This work opens experimental pathway using plasmas for classically simulating complex cosmological models, gravitational waves and the evolution of dark energy at macroscopic scales in laboratory. Cosmological observations face challenges such as the Hubble tension and dark energy, necessitating innovative experimental analogues. Here, the authors demonstrate that laser-driven annular plasma shock waves can simulate wCDM cosmologies and gravitational waves, offering a novel laboratory approach to explore complex cosmological models and dynamics.