General properties of a multilayer stratified fluids system

Journal Article · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Physics of Fluids A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.858602· OSTI ID:6943224

Yang, Y; Zhang, Q ^[1]

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1. Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794 (United States)

Linearized Euler equations of a general stationary multiple layer stratified system for both compressible and incompressible inviscid fluids are analyzed. The main result is that many features of a multilayer system are universal, in the sense they do not depend on such details as the number of layers, their thicknesses, equations of state for the fluids, and equilibrium density distributions. Necessary and sufficient conditions of stability are determined. For compressible fluids, it is possible for the system to be unstable even if there is no density inversion anywhere. It is shown that a compressible system is always more unstable than the corresponding incompressible one. A universal upper bound for the growth rate for a given perturbation wave number is given. General Rayleigh--Taylor unstable modes are characterized, and the range of unstable wave numbers is determined. Properties of stable modes are discussed. Numerical algorithms for solving the eigenvalue problem of the set of linearized Euler equations are given.

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-90ER25084
• OSTI ID: 6943224
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids A; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids A; (United States) Vol. 5:5; ISSN PFADEB; ISSN 0899-8213
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661300* -- Other Aspects of Physical Science-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMPRESSIBLE FLOW
EIGENVALUES
FLUID FLOW
IDEAL FLOW
INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOW
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
STRATIFICATION