Feedout coupling of Richtmyer–Meshkov and Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities in stratified, radiation-driven foils

1089-7674

AIP Digital Archive

Physics

Coupling between Richtmyer–Meshkov- and Rayleigh–Taylor-unstable surfaces of indirectly driven, stratified, planar foils composed of an aluminum ablator and a beryllium payload carrying a machined initial perturbation was studied using radiographic techniques. The beryllium was transparent to the x-ray backlighter, allowing clear observation of the perturbation transport into the aluminum. The maximum perturbation amplitude (areal–mass difference) was smaller in the aluminum/beryllium foils than in equivalent pure aluminum foils, which could have been the result of shorter growth time, a lower differential acceleration coupling, or the density discontinuity at the aluminum/beryllium interface. Second and third harmonics were not observed in the composite foils. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.

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