Investigation of effects of initial interface conditions on the two-dimensional single-mode compressible Rayleigh–Taylor instability: Based on the discrete Boltzmann method

The Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability in inertial confinement fusion implosions evolves at the unstable interface of two fluids when the light fluid is pushing the heavy one. The effects of the initial amplitude and transition layer on the compressible RT instability are investigated numerically by using the discrete Boltzmann method. On the one hand, during the RT evolution, higher initial amplitudes initially increase the global density gradient and non-equilibrium area, with a subsequent reversal. The increasing initial amplitude leads to an initial rise followed by a decline in the system’s maximum Mach number. On the other hand, the impact of the transition layer is generally opposite to the one of initial amplitude in the RT process. These findings offer significant insights into controlling and understanding RT instability in fusion implosion scenarios, emphasizing novel aspects relative to existing literature.