Atwood effects on nonlocality of the scalar transport closure in Rayleigh-Taylor mixing

Lavacot, Dana Lynn O.-L.; Mani, Ali; Morgan, Brandon E.

doi:10.1103/svjh-8pzl

Atwood effects on nonlocality of the scalar transport closure in Rayleigh-Taylor mixing

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2025 · Physical Review Fluids (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/svjh-8pzl· OSTI ID:3009205

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Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

The importance of nonlocality is assessed in modeling mean scalar transport for turbulent Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) mixing at different Atwood numbers. Building on the two-dimensional incompressible work of Lavacot et al. [J. Fluid Mech. 985, A47 (2024)], the present work extends the macroscopic forcing method to variable density problems in three-dimensional space to measure moments of the generalized eddy diffusivity kernel in RT mixing for increasing Atwood numbers (𝐴 = 0.05, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8). It is found that as 𝐴 increases, (1) the eddy diffusivity moments become asymmetric and (2) the higher-order eddy diffusivity moments become larger relative to the leading-order diffusivity, indicating that nonlocality becomes more important at higher 𝐴. There is a particularly strong temporal nonlocality at higher 𝐴, suggesting stronger history effects. In conclusion, the implications of these findings for closure modeling for finite-Atwood RT are discussed.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 3009205

Report Number(s):: LLNL--JRNL-2006019

Journal Information:: Physical Review Fluids (Online), Journal Name: Physical Review Fluids (Online) Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 10; ISSN 2469-990X

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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