Supersonic interface instabilities of accelerated surfaces and jets

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Phys. Fluids; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.865920· OSTI ID:6076488

Gardner, C L

The compressible Rayleigh--Taylor instability of a supersonic accelerated contact discontinuity between two gases is studied by numerically solving the two-dimensional Euler equations. The computed solutions exhibit a complicated set of nonlinear waves comprised of spike and bubble bow shocks, terminal shocks within the spike and bubble, Kelvin--Helmholtz rollup of the spike tip, and contact surface waves. The spike appears to attain a finite growth of aspect ratio approximately equal to 2. The propagation of a supersonic slab jet is also studied numerically, in order to compare and contrast the jet wave structure with that of the supersonic accelerated surface.

• Research Organization: Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York 10012
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76ER03077
• OSTI ID: 6076488
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 29:3; ISSN PFLDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640410* -- Fluid Physics-- General Fluid Dynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ACCELERATION
ASPECT RATIO
BUBBLES
COMPRESSIBLE FLOW
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GASES
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
INTERFACES
JETS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SHOCK WAVES
SLABS
SUPERSONIC FLOW
THERMAL SPIKES