Recent advances in laboratory astrophysics based on a Z-pinch device

High pulsed power facilities have been widely used in laboratory astrophysics,and with the development of diagnostics and fluid mechanics simulation technology, important advances have been made in this field. We describe here the magnetic reconnection and jet flow on the MAGPIE pulse power facility of Imperial College. In the magnetic reconnection experiment,it is found that the temperature of the electrons and ions in the reconnection layer is much higher than what would be expected from the temperature of the incoming plasma, so there must be other effects that lead to this abnormally high temperature; in jet experiments it is observed that bow shocks and cone shocks are generated. This article presents an overview of the above topics, as well as some perspective on future laboratory astrophysics research.