Investigation of the Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities

Bonazza, Riccardo ; Anderson, Mark ; Smith, Leslie

University of Wisconsin--Madison

关键词: Research Programs;    Shock-Induced Interfacial Instability;    70 Plasma Physics And Fusion Technology;    Shock-Induce Mixing;    Computer Calculations;   

DOI  :  10.2172/820806
RP-ID  :  DOE/NA/00061-1
RP-ID  :  FG52-03NA00061
RP-ID  :  820806

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Some of the major difficulties encountered in the effort to achieve nuclear fusion by means of inertial confinement arise from the unstable behavior of the interface between the shell material and the nuclear fuel which develops upon implosion of the shell by direct or indirect laser drive. The fluid flows that develop (termed the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) and the Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instabilities) cause the gassified shell material to mix with the nuclear fuel, causing a reduction in energy yield or no ignition altogether. The present research program addresses the Rayleigh-Taylor and the Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities with extensive laboratory and computational experiments. In the past year, three new activities have been initiated: a new shock tube experiment, involving the impulsive acceleration of a test gas-filled soap bubble, diagnosed with planar Mie scattering or planar induced fluorescence; a Rayleigh-Taylor experiment based on the use of a magnetorheological (MR) fluid to fix the initial shape of the interface between the MR fluid and water; and a series of computer calculations using the Raptor code (made available by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) to design and simulate the shock tube experiments.