Measurement of a Dispersion Curve for Linear-Regime Rayleigh-Taylor Growth Rates in Laser-Driven Planar Targets

A dispersion curve for Rayleigh-Taylor growth rates in the linear regime has been measured in planar CH{sub 2} laser-driven foils. The foils were ablatively accelerated with a single, smoothed, frequency-doubled beam of the Nova laser at 7{times}10{sup 13}W/cm{sup 2} (giving an acceleration of 60{mu}m/ns{sup 2}). Measured growth rates were about 50{percent} of the classical values. Growth rates simulated with the computer code LASNEX were {approximately}18{percent} higher than measured values. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}