Anelastic Rayleigh–Taylor mixing layers. (9th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schneider, N; Gauthier, S
• Is Part Of: Physica scripta. Volume 91:Number 7(2016:Jul.)
• Publication Date: 2016-06-09
• Subjects: Rayleigh–Taylor instability -- anelastic approximation -- stratified flows -- Turbulent flow; Physics -- Periodicals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1088/0031-8949/91/7/074004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0031-8949

Abstract

Abstract: Anelastic Rayleigh–Taylor mixing layers for miscible fluids are investigated with a recently built model (Schneider and Gauthier 2015 J. Eng. Math. 92 55–71 ). Four Chebyshev–Fourier–Fourier direct numerical simulations are analyzed. They use different values for the compressibility parameters: Atwood number (the dimensionless difference of the heavy and light fluid densities) and stratification (accounts for the vertical variation of density due to gravity). For intermediate Atwood numbers and finite stratification, compressibility effects quickly occurs. As a result only nonlinear behaviours are reached. The influence of the compressibility parameters on the growth speed of the RTI is discussed. The 0.1—Atwood number/0.4—stratification configuration reaches a turbulent regime. This turbulent mixing layer is analyzed with statistical tools such as moments, PDFs, anisotropy indicators and spectra.