Viscous Effects in Rayleigh-Taylor Instability.
Abstract
A simple, physical approximation is developed for the effect of viscosity for stable interfacial waves and for the unstable interfacial waves which correspond to Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The approximate picture is rigorously justified for the interface between a heavy fluid (e.g., water) and a light fluid (e.g., air) with negligible dynamic effect. The approximate picture may also be rigorously justified for the case of two fluids for which the differences in density and viscosity are small. The treatment of the interfacial waves may be easily extended to the case where one of the fluids has a small thickness; that is, when one of the fluids is bounded by a free surface or by a rigid wall. The theory is used to give an explanation of the bioconvective patterns which have been observed with cultures of micro-organisms which have negative geotaxis. Since such organisms tend to collect at the surface of a culture and since they are heavier than water, the conditions for Rayleigh-Taylor instability are met. (Modified author abstract)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0764119
Entities
People
- Christopher G. Whipple
- Milton S. Plesset
Organizations
- California Institute of Technology