Self‐consistent model of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability in ablatively accelerated laser plasma

• Published in: Physics of plasmas 1994-09, Vol.1 (9), p.2976-2986
• Main Authors: Bychkov, V. V., Golberg, S. M., Liberman, M. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ABLATION; ANALYTICAL SOLUTION; EIGENVALUES; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; INSTABILITY; INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES; LASER RADIATION; LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA; PERTURBATION THEORY; PLASMA; PLASMA FLUID EQUATIONS; PLASMA INSTABILITY; PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES; RADIATIONS 700340 > Plasma Waves, Oscillations, & Instabilities-- (1992-); RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY; SELF-CONSISTENT FIELD
• ISSN: 1070-664X; 1089-7674
• DOI: 10.1063/1.870538

A self‐consistent approach to the problem of the growth rate of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability in laser accelerated targets is developed. The analytical solution of the problem is obtained by solving the complete system of the hydrodynamical equations which include both thermal conductivity and energy release due to absorption of the laser light. The developed theory provides a rigorous justification for the supplementary boundary condition in the limiting case of the discontinuity model. An analysis of the suppression of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability by the ablation flow is done and it is found that there is a good agreement between the obtained solution and the approximate formula σ = 0.9√gk − 3u 1 k, where g is the acceleration, u 1 is the ablation velocity. This paper discusses different regimes of the ablative stabilization and compares them with previous analytical and numerical works.