The role of the Rayleigh--Taylor instability in laser-driven burnthrough experiments

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physics of Plasmas; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.870631· OSTI ID:7204409

Delettrez, J; Bradley, D K; Verdon, C P ^[1]

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1. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623-1299 (United States)

Experiments were conducted to confirm that the Rayleigh--Taylor instability is the main process controlling the burnthrough time in imploding spherical experiments. In these experiments the laser irradiates targets overcoated with a parylene layer, in which one or more thin signature layers of moderate- to high-[ital Z] material are embedded to signal the penetration of the heat front. Target parameters were varied to study the effect on the burnthrough time of changes to target acceleration, Atwood number, and ablation velocity. The effects of improved laser uniformity through the introduction of smoothing by spectral dispersion are also presented. The results agree well with those obtained from a multimode mix model. This suggests that burnthrough experiments can be used to measure improvements in laser-irradiation or target-fabrication uniformity and to test methods to mitigate the growth of the Rayleigh--Taylor instability.

• DOE Contract Number: FC03-92SF19460
• OSTI ID: 7204409
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas; (United States) Vol. 1:7; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700330 -- Plasma Kinetics
Transport
& Impurities-- (1992-)
700350* -- Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions-- (1992-)
ABLATION
CONFINEMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ICF DEVICES
IMPLOSIONS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
INSTABILITY
LASER RADIATION
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
PLASMA SIMULATION
RADIATIONS
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SIMULATION
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES