Hydrodynamic instability experiments on the Nova laser
- and others
Hydrodynamic instabilities in compressible plasmas play a critical role in the fields of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), astrophysics, and high energy-density physics. We are, investigating hydrodynamic instabilities such as the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability, at high compression at the Nova laser in a series of experiments, both in planar and in spherical geometry. In the indirect drive approach, a thermal x-ray drive is generated by focusing the Nova laser beams into a Au cylindrical radiation cavity (hohlraum). Issues in the instability evolution that we are examining are shock propagation and foil compression, RT growth of 2D versus 3D single-mode perturbations, drive pulse shape, perturbation location at the ablation front versus at an embedded interface, and multimode perturbation growth and nonlinear saturation. The effects of convergence on RT growth are being investigated both with hemispherical implosions of packages mounted on the hohlraum wall and with spherical implosions of capsules at the center of the hohlraum. Single-mode perturbations are pre-imposed at the ablation front of these capsules as a seed for the RT growth. In our direct drive experiments, we are investigating the effect of laser imprinting and subsequent RT growth on planar foils, both at {lambda}{sub Laser} = 1/3 {mu}m and 1/2 {mu}m. An overview is given describing recent progress in each of these areas.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 392661
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-123775; CONF-961005-3; ON: DE96014057; TRN: 96:028395
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 16. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) international conference on plasma physics and controlled nuclear fusion research, Montreal (Canada), 7-11 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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