Influence of velocity shear on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Memorandum report
The influence of a transverse velocity shear on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability is investigated. It is found that a sheared velocity flow can substantially reduce the growth rate of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the short wavelength regime (i.e., kL > 1 where L is the scale length of the density inhomogeneity), and causes the growth rate to maximize at kL < 1.0. Applications of this result to ionospheric phenomena (equatorial spread F (ESF) and ionospheric plasma clouds) are discussed. In particular, the effect of shear could account for, at times, the 100's of km modulation observed on the bottomside of the ESF ionosphere and the km scale size wavelengths observed in barium cloud prompt striation phenomena.
- Research Organization:
- Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5128702
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-108800/4; NRL-MR-4701
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
IONOSPHERE
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SPREAD F
F REGION
FLUID FLOW
INSTABILITY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SHEAR PROPERTIES
VELOCITY
WAVE PROPAGATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena