Simulating bubble and microjet formation in high velocity plasma jets

Studying the evolution of plasma flows and blast wave dynamics is important for understanding astrophysical phenomena, such as accretion processes, supernova remnant dynamics, and radiative outflows from stellar jets. Laser plasma ablation experiments are a promising method for creating analogous plasma jets and supersonic outflows. Recent experiments at OMEGA using a newly developed radiography system reveal the formation of a single-mode blast-driven instability with bubbles, small-scale spike morphology, and turbulent mixing in the presence of a low density foam. We will present simulations of target configurations in HYDRA and PERSEUS to reproduce these structures and study the blase wave transit in the target cavity. These simulations will be used as a benchmark for further target design for laser-driven ablation experiments. This material is based upon work supported by the US DOE OFES under Award No. DE-SC0017951 and US DOE NNSA University of Rochester "National Inertial Confinement Program" under Award No. DE-NA0004144.