[en] We have conducted high-speed jet experiments using the Nova laser facility located at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The experiments make use of energy deposited in a Nova hohlraum to launch a strong shock down the axis of a cylindrical, millimeter-scale package containing a plastic/foam interface. The passage of the shock causes a hemispherical indentation at the interface to invert and form a plasma jet. The jet-tip velocity is approximately 60 km s^-1, with a corresponding jet-tip Mach number of about 17. An X-ray backlighter foil and an electronic X-ray framing camera are used to radiograph the flow side-on. Vortical structures are observed, and the development of the jet over time is measured. An additional set of experiments was undertaken to elucidate these structures using a tracer material. Numerical simulations have been performed to provide additional insights into this flow and to permit examination of unmeasured quantities. The experiments include aspects of observed astrophysical jet phenomena, which could prove useful for benchmarking codes. (c) 2000 The American Astronomical Society

[en] We have conducted shock-induced hydrodynamics experiments using the Nova laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The laser provides a high-enthalpy source by depositing its energy (about 22 kJ) in a small gold cavity called a Hohlraum. The Hohlraum serves as a driver section, launching very strong (M ∼ 20) shocks into millimeter-scale cylindrical ''shock tubes.'' The flow is imaged radiographically by an electronic framing camera, using a laser-generated x-ray source. Several topics have been addressed with this configuration, including shock-induced mixing at density interfaces (seeded with a variety of perturbations); the development of high-speed, shaped-charge-like jets; the effects of geometry on the planarity of the generated shocks; and shock-shock interactions which develop in the flows. This paper describes the general configuration of our experiments, presents an overview of the high-speed jet work, discusses some of our findings, and compares our results with computer simulations

[en] The Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability, which occurs when a lower-density fluid accelerates a higher-density layer, is common in nature. At an ablation front a sharp reduction in the growth rate of the instability at short wave-lengths can occur, in marked contrast to the classical case where growth rates are highest at the shortest wavelengths. Theoretical and numerical investigations of the ablative RT instability are numerous and differ considerably on the level of stabilization expected. We present here the results of a series of laser experiments designed to probe the roll-over and cutoff region of the ablation-front RT dispersion curve in indirect drive. Aluminum foils with imposed sinusoidal perturbations ranging in wavelength from 10 to 70 pm were ablatively accelerated with a radiation drive generated in a gold cylindrical hohlraum. A strong shock wave compresses the package followed by an ∼2 ns period of roughly constant acceleration and the experiment is diagnosed via face-on radiography. Perturbations with wavelengths (ge) 20 (micro)m experienced substantial growth during the acceleration phase while shorter wavelengths showed a sharp drop off in overall growth. These experimental results compared favorably to calculations with a 2-D radiation-hydrodynamics code, however, the growth is significantly affected by the rippled shock launched by the drive. We performed numerical simulations to elucidate the influence of the rippled shock wave on the eventual growth of the perturbations, allowing comparisons to the analytic model developed by Betti et al. This combination of experiments, simulations and analytic modeling illustrates the qualitative simplicity yet quantitative complexity of the compressible RT instability. We have measured the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) dispersion curve for a radiatively-driven sample in a series of experiments on the Nova laser facility. Planar aluminum foils were ablatively-accelerated and the subsequent perturbation growth was diagnosed via x-ray radiography. These measurements unambiguously map out the linear regime dispersion curve, including the observation of stabilization at short wavelengths. The data are compared favorably to two-dimensional simulations. Due to the influence of the rippled shock transit phase of the experiment, direct comparison to the ablation front RT theory of R. Betti was difficult. Instead, a numerical ''experiment'' was constructed that minimized the influence of the shock and this was compared to the Betti model showing quite good agreement

[en] The production of supersonic jets of material via the interaction of a strong shock wave with a spatially localized density perturbation is a common feature of inertial confinement fusion and astrophysics. The behavior of two-dimensional (2D) supersonic jets has previously been investigated in detail [J. M. Foster et. al, Phys. Plasmas 9, 2251 (2002)]. In three-dimensions (3D), however, there are new aspects to the behavior of supersonic jets in compressible media. In this paper, the commissioning activities on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [J. A. Paisner et al., Laser Focus World 30, 75 (1994)] to enable hydrodynamic experiments will be presented as well as the results from the first series of hydrodynamic experiments. In these experiments, two of the first four beams of NIF are used to drive a 40 Mbar shock wave into millimeter scale aluminum targets backed by 100 mg/cc carbon aerogel foam. The remaining beams are delayed in time and are used to provide a point-projection x-ray backlighter source for diagnosing the three-dimensional structure of the jet evolution resulting from a variety of 2D and 3D features. Comparisons between data and simulations using several codes will be presented

[en] The production of supersonic jets of material via the interaction of a strong shock wave with a spatially localized density perturbation is a common feature of inertial confinement fusion and astrophysics. The behavior of two-dimensional (2D) supersonic jets has previously been investigated in detail [J. M. Foster et. al, Phys. Plasmas 9, 2251 (2002)]. In three-dimensions (3D), however, there are new aspects to the behavior of supersonic jets in compressible media. In this paper, the commissioning activities on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [J. A. Paisner et al., Laser Focus World 30, 75 (1994)] to enable hydrodynamic experiments will be presented as well as the results from the first series of hydrodynamic experiments. In these experiments, two of the first four beams of NIF are used to drive a 40 Mbar shock wave into millimeter scale aluminum targets backed by 100 mg/cc carbon aerogel foam. The remaining beams are delayed in time and are used to provide a point-projection x-ray backlighter source for diagnosing the three-dimensional structure of the jet evolution resulting from a variety of 2D and 3D features. Comparisons between data and simulations using several codes will be presented

[en] A first set of laser-plasma interaction, hohlraum energetics and hydrodynamic experiments have been performed using the first 4 beams of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in support of indirect drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and High Energy Density Physics (HEDP). In parallel, a robust set of optical and x-ray spectrometers, interferometer, calorimeters and imagers have been activated. The experiments have been undertaken with laser powers and energies of up to 8 TW and 17 kJ in flattop and shaped 1-9 ns pulses focused with various beam smoothing options