Evolution of the Richtmyer-Meshkov process driven by a cylindrically convergent shock*

A platform has been developed to investigate convergent instability growth using the Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories. Cylindrical liners filled with liquid deuterium are imploded with 23 MA, driving a converging shock that interacts with an on-axis beryllium rod. The passage of the shock through the beryllium-deuterium interface initiates the Richtmyer-Meshkov process, seeded by machining single- and multi-mode axial perturbations in the beryllium rod. We present x-ray images capturing the linear and non-linear evolution of the instability, including a complex re-shock phase initiated by the on-axis reflection of the shock. Data are compared to linear theory and simulations.