Suppression of the Rayleigh-Taylor Instability by Rotation

Abstract eng:
The effect of rotation upon the classical Rayleigh-Taylor instability is considered both theoretically and using superconducting magnets in a novel experimental configuration. We show that in many cases, rotating the system above a critical rate associated with the mode’s wavelength, the Atwood number and the flow’s aspect ratio may stabilize unstable axisymmetric wave modes. The growth rate of the instability and its dominant lengthscale may be significantly reduced by rotation. Experiments conducted in a magnetic field with ‘heavy’ diamagnetic and ‘light’ paramagnetic fluids are used to show the effects of rotation and to compare with our theoretical predictions. By rotating the system the growth rate of the instability is typically suppressed and the scale of the structures observed are significantly reduced. We investigate the effect of increasing fluid viscosity on the observed structures and conclude that both rotation rate and fluid viscosity control the form of the instability that develops.

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