The late time structure of high density contrast, single mode Richtmyer-Meshkov flow

TL;DR

This paper investigates the late-time behavior of Richtmyer-Meshkov instability, deriving an analytic model for flow structure and validating it with simulations, revealing self-similar collapse independent of initial conditions.

Contribution

It introduces an analytic expression for mass-velocity relation in spikes and a global theory for late-time flow structure, advancing understanding of instability evolution.

Findings

Analytic mass-velocity relation derived for spikes

Global theory for late-time flow structure proposed

Simulation results support the self-similar collapse hypothesis

Abstract

We study the late time flow structure of Richtmyer-Meshkov instability. Recent numerical work has suggested a self-similar collapse of the development of this instability at late times, independent of the initial surface profile. Using the form of collapse suggested, we derive an analytic expression for the mass-velocity relation in the spikes, and a global theory for the late time flow structure. We compare these results with fluid dynamical simulation.