Density ratio dependence of Rayleigh–Taylor mixing for sustained and impulsive acceleration histories

Abstract

The turbulent Rayleigh–Taylor instability is investigated over a comprehensive range of fluid density ratio (R)1.3⩽R⩽50 [0.15⩽A=(R−1)/(R+1)⩽0.96] and different acceleration histories g(t) using the Linear Electric Motor. The mixing layer is diagnosed with backlit photography and laser-induced fluorescence. For a constant acceleration, the bubble (2) and spike (1) amplitudes are found to increase as hi=αiAgt2 with α2∼0.05±0.005 and α1∼α2RDα with Dα∼0.33±0.05. For temporally varying accelerations Ag(t)>0, this can be generalized to hi=2αiAS using S=[∫gdt]2/2 rather than the displacement Z=∫∫gdt′ dt. For impulsive accelerations, S remains constant during the coast phase and the amplitudes obey a power law hi∼tθi with θ2∼0.25±0.05 and θ1∼θ2RDθ with Dθ∼0.21±0.05. These values of Dα and Dθ compare favorably with numerical simulations and mix models. The average diameter at the mixing front for bubbles is found to increase as d2∼h2(1+A)/4 in qualitative agreement with “merger” models, but the associated dhi/dt is two times larger than the terminal velocity of an isolated bubble. The spikes become relatively narrow at large R, yet they still grow as gt2.