skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Effect of Initial Conditions on 2D Rayleigh-Taylor Instability and Transition to Turbulence in Planar Blast-wave-driven Systems

Abstract

Perturbations on an interface driven by a strong blast wave grow in time due to a combination of Rayleigh-Taylor, Richtmyer-Meshkov, and decompression effects. In this paper, we present the first results from a computational study of such a system under drive conditions to be attainable on the National Ignition Facility. Using the multiphysics, AMR, higher order Godunov Eulerian hydrocode, Raptor, we consider the late nonlinear instability evolution for multiple amplitude and phase realizations of a variety of multimode spectral types. We show that compressibility effects preclude the emergence of a regime of self-similar instability growth independent of the initial conditions by allowing for memory of the initial conditions to be retained in the mix width at all times. The loss of transverse spectral information is demonstrated, however, along with the existence of a quasi-self-similar regime over short time intervals. Certain aspects of the initial conditions, including the rms amplitude, are shown to have a strong effect on the time to transition to the quasi-self-similar regime.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
15013965
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JRNL-203282
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X; PHPAEN; TRN: US0801273
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 11; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; 42 ENGINEERING; AMPLITUDES; COMPRESSIBILITY; INSTABILITY; RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY; TURBULENCE; US NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY

Citation Formats

Miles, A R, Edwards, M J, and Greenough, J A. Effect of Initial Conditions on 2D Rayleigh-Taylor Instability and Transition to Turbulence in Planar Blast-wave-driven Systems. United States: N. p., 2004. Web.
Miles, A R, Edwards, M J, & Greenough, J A. Effect of Initial Conditions on 2D Rayleigh-Taylor Instability and Transition to Turbulence in Planar Blast-wave-driven Systems. United States.
Miles, A R, Edwards, M J, and Greenough, J A. 2004. "Effect of Initial Conditions on 2D Rayleigh-Taylor Instability and Transition to Turbulence in Planar Blast-wave-driven Systems". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/15013965.
@article{osti_15013965,
title = {Effect of Initial Conditions on 2D Rayleigh-Taylor Instability and Transition to Turbulence in Planar Blast-wave-driven Systems},
author = {Miles, A R and Edwards, M J and Greenough, J A},
abstractNote = {Perturbations on an interface driven by a strong blast wave grow in time due to a combination of Rayleigh-Taylor, Richtmyer-Meshkov, and decompression effects. In this paper, we present the first results from a computational study of such a system under drive conditions to be attainable on the National Ignition Facility. Using the multiphysics, AMR, higher order Godunov Eulerian hydrocode, Raptor, we consider the late nonlinear instability evolution for multiple amplitude and phase realizations of a variety of multimode spectral types. We show that compressibility effects preclude the emergence of a regime of self-similar instability growth independent of the initial conditions by allowing for memory of the initial conditions to be retained in the mix width at all times. The loss of transverse spectral information is demonstrated, however, along with the existence of a quasi-self-similar regime over short time intervals. Certain aspects of the initial conditions, including the rms amplitude, are shown to have a strong effect on the time to transition to the quasi-self-similar regime.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/15013965}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 11,
volume = 11,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Mar 26 00:00:00 EST 2004},
month = {Fri Mar 26 00:00:00 EST 2004}
}