Large-eddy simulations of Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in a converging geometry

TL;DR

This paper presents large-eddy simulations of Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in a converging geometry, demonstrating how shock interactions induce material mixing relevant to fusion and supernovae.

Contribution

It provides detailed LES of RMI in converging geometries, advancing understanding of turbulent mixing in such contexts.

Findings

Material mixing observed after shock impact.

Impact of Mach number on instability development.

Relevance to inertial confinement fusion and supernovae.

Abstract

The Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) refers to the baroclinic generation of vorticity at a perturbed density interface when impacted by a shock wave. It is often thought of as the impulsive limit of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI). The fluid dynamics video "large-eddy simulations (LES) of RMI in a converging geometry" shows the mixing of materials resulting from the interaction of an imploding cylindrical shock wave with a concentric perturbed interface that separates outside light gas from heavy gas (initially 5 times denser) inside a wedge. At the initial impact, the incident shock Mach number is either 1.3 or 2.0. The present canonical simulations support recent interests on compressible turbulent mixing in converging geometries relevant to both inertial confinement fusion and core-collapse supernovae dynamics.