Abstract: Jets are observed on all scales in the universe: from protostellar jets in star forming regions, a few times the size of our Solar System, to jets from supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies, some of the largest single structures in space. The presence of jets from such a wide variety of objects indicates that they share a universal mechanism that is independent of the source and size of the system, opening the prospect of Earth-based laboratory experiments to study and understand their key physics.

I will present an overview of experiments relevant to astrophysical jets using pulsed-power and high-power laser facilities. The experiments look at the launching of hypersonic jets and the effect that magnetic fields, rotation and radiative instabilities can have in their propagation and, particularly, the formation of shocks.