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Direct simulation Monte Carlo investigation of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability

Journal Article · · Physical Review Fluids
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Engineering Sciences Center
  2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Computing Research Center
In this paper, the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) is investigated using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method of molecular gas dynamics. Here, fully resolved two-dimensional DSMC RTI simulations are performed to quantify the growth of flat and single-mode perturbed interfaces between two atmospheric-pressure monatomic gases as a function of the Atwood number and the gravitational acceleration. The DSMC simulations reproduce many qualitative features of the growth of the mixing layer and are in reasonable quantitative agreement with theoretical and empirical models in the linear, nonlinear, and self-similar regimes. In some of the simulations at late times, the instability enters the self-similar regime, in agreement with experimental observations. Finally, for the conditions simulated, diffusion can influence the initial instability growth significantly.
Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
1339256
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1313260
OSTI ID: 1324598
Report Number(s):
SAND2016--1868J; 619643
Journal Information:
Physical Review Fluids, Journal Name: Physical Review Fluids Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 1; ISSN 2469-990X
Publisher:
APSCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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  • Kadau, Kai; Barber, John L.; Germann, Timothy C.
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 368, Issue 1916 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2009.0218
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Non-equilibrium effects on flow past a circular cylinder in the slip and early transition regime journal December 2018
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Quantification of thermally-driven flows in microsystems using Boltzmann equation in deterministic and stochastic contexts journal August 2019
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Molecular-Level Simulations of Turbulence and Its Decay journal February 2017
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