Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-nr4z6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-17T18:52:23.170Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Numerical methods for the determination of mixing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2004

E. GEORGE
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
J. GLIMM
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
X.L. LI
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
A. MARCHESE
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
Z.-L. XU
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
J.W. GROVE
Affiliation:
Computer and Computational Science Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
DAVID H. SHARP
Affiliation:
Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Abstract

We present a Rayleigh–Taylor mixing rate simulation with an acceleration rate falling within the range of experiments. The simulation uses front tracking to prevent interfacial mass diffusion. We present evidence to support the assertion that the lower acceleration rate found in untracked simulations is caused, at least to a large extent, by a reduced buoyancy force due to numerical interfacial mass diffusion. Quantitative evidence includes results from a time-dependent Atwood number analysis of the diffusive simulation, which yields a renormalized mixing rate coefficient for the diffusive simulation in agreement with experiment. We also present the study of Richtmyer–Meshkov mixing in cylindrical geometry using the front tracking method and compare it with the experimental results.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Cheng, J., Glimm, J., Saltz, D. & Sharp, D.H. (1999). Boundary conditions for a two pressure two phase flow model. Physica D 133, 84105.Google Scholar
Cheng, B., Glimm, J. & Sharp, D.H. (2000). Density dependence of Rayleigh–Taylor and Richtmyer–Meshkov mixing fronts. Phys. Lett. A 268, 366374.Google Scholar
Cheng, B., Glimm, J. & Sharp, D.H. (in press). A 3D RNG bubble merger model for Rayleigh–Taylor mixing. Chaos.
Dimonte, G. (1999). Nonlinear evolution of the Rayleigh–Taylor and Richtmyer–Meshkov instabilities. Phys. Plasmas 5, 20092015.Google Scholar
Dimonte, G. & Schneider, M. (1996). Turbulent Rayleigh–Taylor instability experiments with variable acceleration. Phys. Rev. E 54, 37403743.Google Scholar
Dimonte, G. & Schneider, M (2000). Density ration dependence of Rayleigh–Taylor mixing for sustained and impulsive acceleration histories. Phys. Fluids 12, 304321.Google Scholar
Drake, R.P., Robey, H.F., Hurricane, O.A., Remington, B.A., Knauer, J., Glimm, J., Zhang, Y., Arnett, D., Ryutov, D.D., Kane, J.O., Budil, K.S. & Grove, J.W. (2002). Experiments to produce a hydrodynamically unstable spherically diverging system of relevance to instabilities in supernovae. Astrophy. J. 564, 896906.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glimm, J., Grove, J.W., Li, X.L., Oh, W. & Sharp, D.H. (2001). A critical analysis of Rayleigh–Taylor growth rates. J. Comp. Phys. 169, 652677.Google Scholar
Glimm, J., Grove, J.W. & Zhang, Y. (2000). Three dimensional axisymmetric simulations of fluid instabilities in curved geometry. In Advances in Fluid Mechanics III (Rahman, M. & Brebbia, C.A., Eds.), pp. 643652. Southampton, UK: WIT Press.
Glimm, J., Grove, J.W. & Zhang, Y. (in press a). Interface tracking for axisymmetric flows. SIAM J. Sci. Comp.
Glimm, J., Grove, J.W., Zhang, Y. & Dutta, S. (in press b). Numerical study of axisymmetric Richtmyer–Meshkov instability and azimuthal effect on spherical mixing. J. Stat. Physics.
Read, K.I. (1984). Experimental investigation of turbulent mixing by Rayleigh–Taylor instability. Physica D 12, 4558.Google Scholar
Sharp, D.H. (1984). Physica D 12, 318.
Sharp, D.H. & Wheeler, J.A. (1961). Late stage of Rayleigh–Taylor instability. Technical report, Institute of Defense Analyses.
Youngs, D.L. (1984). Numerical simulation of turbulent mixing by Rayleigh–Taylor instability. Physica D 12, 3244.Google Scholar
Zhang, Q. & Graham, M.J. (1997). Scaling laws for unstable interfaces driven by strong shocks in cylindrical geometry. Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 26742677.Google Scholar