Ablative Rayleigh-Taylor Instability at Short Wavelengths Observed with Moiré Interferometry

Abstract

One of the most important quantities to be measured for better understanding of the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability is the growth rate in the short wavelength region at which the RT instability is significantly reduced. The short wavelength ( 4.7-12 microm) RT growth rates for direct-drive targets were measured for the first time by utilizing the innovated moiré interferometry [M. Matsuoka et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 70, 637 (1999)]. These growth rates were reasonably well reproduced by the simulation that solves the Fokker-Planck equation for nonlocal heat transport.