Vorticity generation and evolution in shock-accelerated density-stratified interfaces

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physics of Fluids A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.858426· OSTI ID:7036147

Yang, X ^[1]; Chern, I ^[2]; Zabusky, N J; Samtaney, R ^[3]; Hawley, J F ^[4]

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1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855 (United States)
2. Mathematics and Computer Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4801 (United States)
3. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and CAIP Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855 (United States)
4. Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 (United States)

The results of direct numerical simulations of inviscid planar shock-accelerated density-stratified interfaces in two dimensions are presented and compared with shock tube experiments of Haas ((private communication, 1988)) and Sturtevant (in {ital Shock} {ital Tubes} {ital and} {ital Waves}, edited by H. Gronig (VCH, Berlin, 1987), p. 89) . Heavy-to-light ( slow/fast or s/f) and light-to-heavy ( fast/slow,'' or f/s) gas interfaces are examined and early-time impulsive vorticity deposition and the evolution of coherent vortex structures are emphasized and quantified. The present second-order Godunov scheme yields excellent agreement with shock-polar analyses at early time. A more physical vortex interpretation explains the commonly used (i.e., linear paradigm) designations of unstable'' and stable'' for the f/s and s/f interfaces, respectively. The later time events are Rayleigh--Taylor like and can be described in terms of the evolution of a vortex layer (large-scale translation and rotation): {ital asymmetric} tip vortex roll-up'' and binding;'' layer instability;'' convective mixing; and baroclinic vorticity generation from secondary shock--interface interactions.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 7036147
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids A; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids A; (United States) Vol. 4:7; ISSN 0899-8213; ISSN PFADE
• 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
FLUID FLOW
INSTABILITY
INTERFACES
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SHOCK TUBES
SHOCK WAVES
STRATIFICATION
VORTICES