Nonlinear Evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

Abstract

A fully 3-d Rayleigh-Taylor instability of the pusher-fuel contact surface in a spherically stagnating system is described. Saturation amplitude of the exponential growth and free-fall speed following the saturation are discussed with nonlinear bubble-spike structures in spherical geometry. Nonlinear mode coupling of unstable surface waves and reduction of amplitude due to time varying gravity perturbations are also shown.