Numerical simulations of compressible Rayleigh-Taylor turbulence in stratified fluids

Abstract

We present results from numerical simulations of Rayleigh-Taylor turbulence, performed using a recently proposed lattice Boltzmann method able to describe consistently a thermal compressible flow subject to an external forcing. The method allowed us to study the system both in the nearly-Boussinesq and strongly compressible regimes. Moreover, we show that when the stratification is important, the presence of the adiabatic gradient causes the arrest of the mixing process.

15 pages, 11 figures. Proceedings of II Conference on Turbulent Mixing and Beyond (TMB-2009)