Nonlinear evolution and breaking of interfacial Rayleigh--Taylor waves

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Phys. Fluids A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.857340· OSTI ID:6249523

Oron, A; Rosenau, P

The nonlinear evolution of interfacial waves separating liquids of differentviscosity and density (Rayleigh--Taylor instability) in a 2-D channel isstudied. Using a new approach, which accounts for large gradients, the nonlinearevolution of the interface, /ital y/=epsilon/ital A/(/tau/,xi),epsilon/much lt/1, is shown tobe governed by the regularized Kuramoto--Sivashinsky equation /ital A//sub /tau//+..beta../ital AA//sub xi/+/l brace/..cap alpha../ital A/+..gamma../ital A//sub xixi//(1+epsilon/sup 4//ital A//sup 2//sub xi/)/sup 3/2//r brace//sub xixi/=0,where the constants ..cap alpha..,..beta.., and ..gamma.. are determinedat equilibrium, xi is the slow coordinate along the channel,xi=epsilon(/ital x//minus//ital c//sub 0//ital t/), and /tau/=epsilon/sup 2//ital t/. It is shownnumerically that for epsilon/sup 2/greater than or equal to0.1..beta.. linearly unstable waves (while alwaysof finite amplitude) are propelled by convection toward breaking in a finitetime.

• Research Organization: Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545(US); Department of Mechanical Engineering Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel and Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6249523
• Journal Information: Phys. Fluids A; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids A; (United States) Vol. 1:7; ISSN PFADE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640410* -- Fluid Physics-- General Fluid Dynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
AMPLITUDES
DISTURBANCES
FLUIDS
INSTABILITY
INTERFACES
LIQUIDS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS