Three-dimensional single-mode nonlinear ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability

Journal Article · Mon Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2016 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4940917· OSTI ID:22493885

Yan, R.; Aluie, H. ^[1]; Betti, R. ^[1]; Sanz, J. ^[2]; Liu, B.; Frank, A. ^[3]

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1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)
2. E.T.S.I. Aeronáuticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040 (Spain)
3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)

The nonlinear evolution of the single-mode ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability is studied in three dimensions. As the mode wavelength approaches the cutoff of the linear spectrum (short-wavelength modes), it is found that the three-dimensional (3D) terminal bubble velocity greatly exceeds both the two-dimensional (2D) value and the classical 3D bubble velocity. Unlike in 2D, the 3D short-wavelength bubble velocity does not saturate. The growing 3D bubble acceleration is driven by the unbounded accumulation of vorticity inside the bubble. The vorticity is transferred by mass ablation from the Rayleigh-Taylor spikes to the ablated plasma filling the bubble volume.

• OSTI ID: 22493885
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 23, Issue 2; Other Information: (c) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ABLATION
ACCELERATION
BUBBLES
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SPECTRA
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL LATTICES
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
WAVELENGTHS