title: Observation of Single-Mode, Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in a Supersonic Flow.
abstract: We report the first observation, in a supersonic flow, of the evolution of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability from a single-mode initial condition. To obtain these data, we used a novel experimental system to produce a steady shock wave of unprecedented duration in a laser-driven experiment. The shocked, flowing material creates a shear layer between two plasmas at high energy density. We measured the resulting interface structure using radiography. Hydrodynamic simulations reproduce the large-scale structures very well and the medium-scale structures fairly well, and imply that we observed the expected reduction in growth rate for supersonic shear flow.
authors.affiliation: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.|Nuclear Research Center - Negev, Beer Sheva 84190, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malamud
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Research Center - Negev, Beer Sheva 84190, Israel.|Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84190, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimony
authors.affiliation: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Di Stefano
authors.affiliation: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Trantham
authors.affiliation: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.|Nuclear Research Center - Negev, Beer Sheva 84190, Israel.|Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84190, Israel.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shvarts
authors.affiliation: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kuranz
authors.affiliation: Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Drake