Richtmyer-Meshkov instability evolution in layered system

Presently, a great part of the attention paid to the studies on the Richtmy er-Meshkov instability (RMI) is focused on the case of shock passage throug h a system of gas layers of different densities. The interest to this probl em has been induced, in particular, by multiple attempts to minimize the pr ocess of mixing between the layers of different densities in targets for in ertial confinement fusion (ICF), caused by excitation of the RMI on the lay er boundaries. The RMI suppression is one of the most important, but diffic ult problems in worldwide efforts on ICE A direct investigation of this phe nomenon in laser experiments (in NOVA, for example) is a rather difficult t ask. Shock tubes are a more promising tool for modeling the impulsively-dri ven instabilities in gas layers, for they allow us a detailed investigation of the mechanism of initiation and the pathways of evolution of the instab ility (Jacobs et al. 1995; Aleshin et nl. 1995a). A series of shock-tube ex periments for the shock passage through a system of gas layers of different densities has been carried out. The effect of a suppression of the RMI has been found. A 2.5-fold reduction of the mixing region thickness in the pre sence of the layer as compared to the thickness without it has been obtaine d.