Instability, mixing, and transition to turbulence in a laser-driven counterflowing shear experiment

Journal Article · Tue Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 2013 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4789618· OSTI ID:22113368

Doss, F. W.; Loomis, E. N.; Welser-Sherrill, L.; Fincke, J. R.; Flippo, K. A. ^[1]; Keiter, P. A. ^[2]

---

1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

In a turbulence experiment conducted at the Omega Laser Facility [Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)]], regions of 60 mg/cc foam are separated by an aluminum plate running the length of a 1.6 mm shock tube. Two counter-propagating laser-driven shocks are used to create a high speed, {Delta}V=140 km/s shear flow environment, sustained for {approx}10 ns, while canceling the transverse pressure gradient across the interface. The spreading of the aluminum by shear-instability-induced mixing is measured by x-ray radiography. The width of the mix region is compared to simulations. Reynolds numbers Greater-Than-Or-Equivalent-To 4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 5} are achieved within the layer. Following the onset of shear, we observe striations corresponding to the dominant mode growth and their transition through non-linear structures to developed turbulence.

• OSTI ID: 22113368
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 20; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM
FLOW VISUALIZATION
INSTABILITY
INTERFACES
LASER RADIATION
LAYERS
MIXING
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
REYNOLDS NUMBER
SHOCK TUBES
SHOCK WAVES
SIMULATION
STRIATIONS
TURBULENCE
X-RAY RADIOGRAPHY