Experimental observation of Rayleigh-Taylor growth as a function of wavelength in the warm dense matter regime

ORAL

Abstract

``Classical'' Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) growth is characterized by a growth rate $\gamma=\sqrt{k g A_n }$, where $k$ is the wavelength of the unstable mode, $g$ is the acceleration, and the Atwood $A_n$ number characterizes the magnitude of the density jump at the interface. Here we present the results of a set of experiments using face-on x-ray radiography to measure RT growth in a plastic rippled sample. Acceleration of the sample is provided by the stagnation of a releasing shocked plastic ``reservoir,'' which is directly driven by approximately 1 kJ of laser energy at the OMEGA facility. The growth of pre-imposed ripples is recorded using transmission x-ray radiography of a vanadium He$_\alpha$ source, where the opacity of the sample is calibrated to the ripple amplitude. We report the results of experiments at 30 $\mu$m and 60 $\mu$m initial wavelengths, and compare the data to 2D hydrodynamic simulations.

*This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Authors

  • Channing Huntington

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • A. Arsenlis

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
  • B.R. Maddox

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
  • H.-S. Park

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
  • S.T. Prisbrey

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
  • S.V. Weber

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
  • C.E. Wehrenberg

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
  • B.A. Remington

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab