Self-similar multishock implosions for ultrahigh compression of matter

Abstract

We present a class of self-similar solutions describing ultrahigh compression of a uniform-density target by spherically converging, stacked shock waves. Extending the classical Guderley model, we derive a scaling law for the final density of the form $\rho_{r}/\rho_{0} \propto \hat{P}^{\beta (N-1)}$, where $N$ is the number of shocks, $\hat{P}$ the stage pressure ratio, and $\beta$ a numerical exponent determined by the adiabatic index $\gamma$. One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations confirm the validity of this scaling across a broad parameter range. Notably, the relation remains accurate even in the strongly nonlinear regime up to $\hat{P} \sim 70$, well beyond the perturbative limit, highlighting the robustness and practical relevance of the model. Owing to its volumetric geometry, this compression scheme inherently avoids the Rayleigh--Taylor instability, which typically compromises shell-based implosions, and thereby establishes a theoretical benchmark for instability-free compression in inertial confinement fusion.