This work presents direct experimental evidence of long-predicted nonlinear aspects of the Richtmyer-Meshkov process, in which new modes first arise from the coupling of initially-present modes, and in which shorter-wavelength modes are eventually overtaken by longer-wavelength modes. This is accomplished using a technique we developed employing a long driving laser pulse to create a strong (Mach ∼ 8) shock across a well-characterized material interface seeded by a two-mode sinusoidal perturbation. This technique further permits the shock to be sustained, without decay of the high-energy-density flow conditions, long enough for the system to evolve into the nonlinear phase.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.