Effect of initial phase on the ablative Rayleigh–Taylor instability

Abstract

The effect of initial perturbation phase on the ablative Rayleigh–Taylor instability is investigated by numerical simulations. We aim at the growth of harmonic amplitudes and the formation of spikes and bubbles in single- and two-mode coupling cases, respectively. In the two-mode coupling case, two kinds of simulations are performed: two modes with relatively small linear growth rate difference and two modes with relatively large linear growth rate difference. The initial relative phase between the original two modes has a significant effect on the growth of harmonic amplitudes, and in different initial relative phases, the structures of spikes and bubbles begin to show great differences in the nonlinear stage. Fortunately, the harmonic amplitudes are weakened at a specific initial relative phase. This has a certain enlightening significance for the stabilization of ablative Rayleigh–Taylor instability.