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Experiments and large eddy simulation (LES) were performed to study the development of the Rayleigh–Taylor instability into the saturated, nonlinear regime, produced between two gases accelerated by a rarefaction wave. Single-mode two-dimensional, and single-mode three-dimensional initial perturbations were introduced on the diffuse interface between the two gases prior to acceleration. The rarefaction wave imparts a non-constant acceleration, and a time decreasing Atwood number, $A=(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}-\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})/(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})$, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1}$ are the densities of the heavy and light gas, respectively. Experiments and simulations are presented for initial Atwood numbers of $A=0.49$, $A=0.63$, $A=0.82$ and $A=0.94$. Nominally two-dimensional (2-D) experiments (initiated with nearly 2-D perturbations) and 2-D simulations are observed to approach an intermediate-time velocity plateau that is in disagreement with the late-time velocity obtained from the incompressible model of Goncharov (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 88, 2002, 134502). Reacceleration from an intermediate velocity is observed for 2-D bubbles in large wavenumber, $k=2\unicode[STIX]{x03C0}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}=0.247~\text{mm}^{-1}$, experiments and simulations, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}$ is the wavelength of the initial perturbation. At moderate Atwood numbers, the bubble and spike velocities approach larger values than those predicted by Goncharov’s model. These late-time velocity trends are predicted well by numerical simulations using the LLNL Miranda code, and by the 2009 model of Mikaelian (Phys. Fluids., vol. 21, 2009, 024103) that extends Layzer type models to variable acceleration and density. Large Atwood number experiments show a delayed roll up, and exhibit a free-fall like behaviour. Finally, experiments initiated with three-dimensional perturbations tend to agree better with models and a simulation using the LLNL Ares code initiated with an axisymmetric rather than Cartesian symmetry.

In the present study, shock tube experiments are used to study the very late-time development of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability from a diffuse, nearly sinusoidal, initial perturbation into a fully turbulent flow. The interface is generated by two opposing gas flows and a perturbation is formed on the interface by transversely oscillating the shock tube to create a standing wave. The puncturing of a diaphragm generates a Mach $1. 2$ shock wave that then impacts a density gradient composed of air and SF6, causing the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability to develop in the 2.0 m long test section. The instability is visualized with planar Mie scattering in which smoke particles in the air are illuminated by a Nd:YLF laser sheet, and images are recorded using four high-speed video cameras operating at 6 kHz that allow the recording of the time history of the instability. In addition, particle image velocimetry (PIV) is implemented using a double-pulsed Nd:YAG laser with images recorded using a single CCD camera. Initial modal content, amplitude, and growth rates are reported from the Mie scattering experiments while vorticity and circulation measurements are made using PIV. Amplitude measurements show good early-time agreement but relatively poor late-time agreement with existing nonlinear models. The model of Goncharov (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 88, 2002, 134502) agrees with growth rate measurements at intermediate times but fails at late experimental times. Measured background acceleration present in the experiment suggests that the late-time growth rate may be influenced by Rayleigh–Taylor instability induced by the interfacial acceleration. Numerical simulations conducted using the LLNL codes Ares and Miranda show that this acceleration may be caused by the growth of boundary layers, and must be accounted for to produce good agreement with models and simulations. Adding acceleration to the Richtmyer–Meshkov buoyancy–drag model produces improved agreement. It is found that the growth rate and amplitude trends are also modelled well by the Likhachev–Jacobs vortex model (Likhachev & Jacobs, Phys. Fluids, vol. 17, 2005, 031704). Circulation measurements also show good agreement with the circulation value extracted by fitting the vortex model to the experimental data.

We present molecular dynamics (MD) calculations of shear viscosity for asymmetric mixed plasma for thermodynamic conditions relevant to astrophysical and inertial confinement fusion plasmas. Specifically, we consider mixtures of deuterium and argon at temperatures of 100-500 eV and a number density of 10^{25} ions/cc. The motion of 30,000-120,000 ions is simulated in which the ions interact via the Yukawa (screened Coulomb) potential. The electric field of the electrons is included in this effective interaction; the electrons are not simulated explicitly. Shear viscosity is calculated using the Green-Kubo approach with an integral of the shear stress autocorrelation function, a quantity calculated in the equilibrium MD simulations. We systematically study different mixtures through a series of simulations with increasing fraction of the minority high-Z element (Ar) in the D-Ar plasma mixture. In the more weakly coupled plasmas, at 500 eV and low Ar fractions, results from MD compare very well with Chapman-Enskog kinetic results. In the more strongly coupled plasmas, the kinetic theory does not agree well with the MD results. We develop a simple model that interpolates between classical kinetic theories at weak coupling and the Murillo Yukawa viscosity model at higher coupling. This hybrid kinetics-MD viscosity model agrees well with the MD results over the conditions simulated, ranging from moderately weakly coupled to moderately strongly coupled asymmetric plasma mixtures.

When a heavy fluid is placed above a light fluid, tiny vertical perturbations in the interface create a characteristic structure of rising bubbles and falling spikes known as Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities have received much attention over the past half-century because of their importance in understanding many natural and man-made phenomena, ranging from the rate of formation of heavy elements in supernovae to the design of capsules for Inertial Confinement Fusion. We present a new approach to analyze Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in which we extract a hierarchical segmentation of the mixing envelope surface to identify bubbles and analyze analogous segmentations of fields on the original interface plane. We compute meaningful statistical information that reveals the evolution of topological features and corroborates the observations made by scientists.

Spontaneous mixing of fluids at unstably stratified interfaces occurs in a wide variety of atmospheric, oceanic, geophysical and astrophysical flows. The Rayleigh–Taylor instability, a process by which fluids seek to reduce their combined potential energy, plays a key role in all types of fusion. Despite decades of investigation, fundamental questions regarding turbulent Rayleigh–Taylor flow persist, namely: does the flow forget its initial conditions, is the flow self-similar, what is the scaling constant, and how does mixing influence the growth rate? Here, we show results from a large direct numerical simulation addressing such questions. The simulated flow reaches a Reynolds number of 32,000, far exceeding that of all previous Rayleigh–Taylor simulations. We find that the scaling constant cannot be found by fitting a curve to the width of the mixing layer (as is common practice) but can be obtained by recourse to the similarity equation for the expansion rate of the turbulent region. Moreover, the ratio of kinetic energy to released potential energy is not constant, but exhibits a weak Reynolds number dependence, which might have profound consequences for flame propagation models in type Ia supernova simulations.

An artificial viscosity is described, which functions as an effective subgrid-scale model for both high and low Mach number flows. The model employs a bulk viscosity for treating shocks and a shear viscosity for treating turbulence. Each of the viscosities contains an empirical constant; however, the constants do not require adjustment from flow to flow. A polyharmonic operator, applied to the strain rate, imparts spectral-like behavior to the model, thus eliminating the need for ad hoc limiters and/or ''dynamic procedures'' to turn off the model in smooth regions. The model gives excellent results for Shu's problem, Noh's problem and decaying turbulence.

A large-eddy simulation technique is described for computing Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The method is based on high-wavenumber-preserving subgrid-scale models, combined with high-resolution numerical methods. The technique is verified to match linear stability theory and validated against direct numerical simulation data. The method is used to simulate Rayleigh-Taylor instability at a grid resolution of 1152 3 . The growth rate is found to depend on the mixing rate. A mixing transition is observed in the flow, during which an inertial range begins to form in the velocity spectrum and the rate of growth of the mixing zone is temporarily reduced. By measuring growth of the layer in units of dominant initial wavelength, criteria are established for reaching the hypothetical self-similar state of the mixing layer. A relation is obtained between the rate of growth of the mixing layer and the net mass flux through the plane associated with the initial location of the interface. A mix-dependent Atwood number is defined, which correlates well with the entrainment rate, suggesting that internal mixing reduces the layer's growth rate

A spectral-like viscosity is proposed for centered differencing schemes to help stabilize numerical solutions and reduce oscillations near discontinuities. Errors introduced by the added dissipation can be made arbitrarily small by adjusting the power of the derivative in the viscosity term. The high-wavenumber viscosity is combined with a 10th- order compact scheme to produce an accurate and efficient shock-capturing method. The new scheme compares favorably with other shock-capturing algorithms.

Turbulent hydrodynamic mixing induced by the Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) and Richtmyer–Meshkov (RM) instabilities occurs in settings as varied as exploding stars (supernovae), inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsule implosions, and macroscopic flows in fluid dynamics facilities such as shock tubes. Turbulence theory and modeling have been applied to RT and RM induced flows and developed into a quantitative description of turbulence from the onset to the asymptotic end-state. The treatment, based on a combined approach of theory, direct numerical simulation (DNS), and experimental data analysis, has broad generality. Three areas of progress will be reported. First, a robust, easy to apply criteria will be reported for the mixing transition in a time-dependent flow. This allows an assessment of whether flows, be they from supernova explosions or ICF experiments, should be mixed down to the molecular scale or not. Second, through DNS, the structure, scaling, and spectral evolution of the RT instability induced fl...

In this paper we present molecular dynamics (MD) calculations of the interdiffusion coefficient for asymmetric mixed plasma for thermodynamic conditions relevant to astrophysical and inertial confinement fusion plasmas. Specifically, we consider mixtures of deuterium and argon at temperatures of 100--500 eV and a number density $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{25} \mathrm{ions}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$. The motion of 30 000--120 000 ions is simulated in which the ions interact via the Yukawa (screened Coulomb) potential. The electric field of the electrons is included in this effective interaction; the electrons are not simulated explicitly. The species diffusivity is then calculated using the Green-Kubo approach using an integral of the interdiffusion current autocorrelation function, a quantity calculated in the equilibrium MD simulations. Our MD simulation results show that a widely used expression relating the interdiffusion coefficient with the concentration-weighted sum of self-diffusion coefficients overestimates the interdiffusion coefficient. We argue that this effect due to cross-correlation terms in velocities is characteristic of asymmetric mixed plasmas. Comparison of the MD results with predictions of kinetic theories also shows a discrepancy with MD giving effectively a larger Coulomb logarithm.

We use molecular dynamics (MD) to simulate diffusion in molten aluminum-copper (AlCu) alloys. The self-diffusivities and Maxwell-Stefan diffusivities are calculated for AlCu mixtures using the Green-Kubo formulas at temperatures from 1000 to 4000 K and pressures from 0 to 25 GPa, along with additional points at higher temperatures and pressures. The diffusivities are corrected for finite-size effects. The Maxwell-Stefan diffusivity is compared to the diffusivity calculated from the self-diffusivities using a generalization of the Darken equation. We find that the effects of cross-correlation are small. Using the calculated self-diffusivities, we have assessed whether dilute hard-sphere and dilute Lennard-Jones models apply to the molten mixture. Neither of the two dilute gas diffusivities describes the diffusivity in molten Al and Cu. We report generalized analytic models for the self-diffusivities and interdiffusivity (mutual diffusivity) that fit the MD results well. The MD-derived transport coefficients are in good agreement with the available experimental data. We also report MD calculations of the viscosity and an analytic fit to those results. The ionic thermal conductivity is discussed briefly.

The dynamic subgrid-scale (SGS) model of Germano et al. (1991) is generalized for the large eddy simulation (LES) of compressible flows and transport of a scalar. The model was applied to the LES of decaying isotropic turbulence, and the results are in excellent agreement with experimental data and direct numerical simulations. The expression for the SGS turbulent Prandtl number was evaluated using direct numerical simulation (DNS) data in isotropic turbulence, homogeneous shear flow, and turbulent channel flow. The qualitative behavior of the model for turbulent Prandtl number and its dependence on molecular Prandtl number, direction of scalar gradient, and distance from the wall are in accordance with the total turbulent Prandtl number from the DNS data.

We describe Miranda, a massively parallel spectral/compact solver for variabledensity incompressible flow, including viscosity and species diffusivity effects. Miranda utilizes FFTs and band-diagonal matrix solvers to compute spatial derivatives to at least 10th-order accuracy. We have successfully ported this communicationintensive application to BlueGene/L and have explored both direct block parallel and transpose-based parallelization strategies for its implicit solvers. We have discovered a mapping strategy which results in virtually perfect scaling of the transpose method up to 65,536 processors of the BlueGene/L machine. Sustained global communication rates in Miranda typically run at 85% of the theoretical peak speed of the BlueGene/L torus network, while sustained communication plus computation speeds reach 2.76 TeraFLOPS. This effort represents the first time that a high-order variable-density incompressible flow solver with species diffusion has demonstrated sustained performance in the TeraFLOPS range.