Abstract
The late-time nonlinear evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) and Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instabilities for random initial perturbations is investigated using a statistical mechanics model based on single-mode and bubble-competition physics at all Atwood numbers (A) and full numerical simulations in two and three dimensions. It is shown that the RT mixing zone bubble and spike fronts evolve as h ∼ α · A · gt2 with different values of α for the bubble and spike fronts. The RM mixing zone fronts evolve as h ∼ tθ with different values of θ for bubbles and spikes. Similar analysis yields a linear growth with time of the Kelvin-Helmholtz mixing zone. The dependence of the RT and RM scaling parameters on A and the dimensionality will be discussed. The 3D predictions are found to be in good agreement with recent Linear Electric Motor (LEM) experiments.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 719-726 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences - Series IV: Physics, Astrophysics |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 2000 |
Keywords
- Hydrodynamic instabilities
- Kelvin-Helmholtz
- Mixing zone
- Numerical simulations
- Rayleigh-Taylor instability
- Richtmyer-Meskov instability
- Temporal growth
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy