The Rayleigh-Taylor and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in targets accelerated by laser ablation

Using the FAST2D laser-shell simulation model we have accelerated a 20 micrometer thick plastic foil up to 160 km/s. The foil maintained its integrity up to 10 ns giving an aspect ratio of 40. We are able to follow the Rayleigh-Taylor bubble-and-spike development far into the nonlinear regime and beyond the point of foil fragmentation. Strong shear flow develops at the interface between the bubble-and-spike which leads to the development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The K-H instability causes the tips of the spikes to widen and as a result reduce their rate of 'fall'.