Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability
Published on: March 3, 2017
Study of the Reynolds Number Effect on the Process of Instability Transition Into the Turbulent Stage
N V Nevmerzhitskiy1, E A Sotskov2, E D Sen'kovskiy2
1Russian Federation Nuclear Center , Nizhniy Novgorod region , Sarov, Russia
Abstract:
The results of the experimental study of the Reynolds number effect on the process of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability transition into the turbulent stage are presented. The experimental liquid layer was accelerated by compressed gas. Solid particles were scattered on the layer free surface to specify the initial perturbations in some experiments. The process was recorded with the use of a high-speed motion picture camera. The following results were obtained in experiments: (1) Long-wave perturbation is developed at the interface at the Reynolds numbers Re < 104. If such perturbation growth is limited by a hard wall, the jet directed in gas is developed. If there is no such limitation, this perturbation is resolved into the short-wave ones with time, and their growth results in gas-liquid mixing. (2) Short-wave perturbations specified at the interface significantly reduce the Reynolds number Re for instability to pass into the turbulent mixing stage.
More Related Videos
11:51Visually Based Characterization of the Incipient Particle Motion in Regular Substrates: From Laminar to Turbulent Conditions
Published on: February 22, 2018
10:03Uncoupling Coriolis Force and Rotating Buoyancy Effects on Full-Field Heat Transfer Properties of a Rotating Channel
Published on: October 5, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Poiseuille's Law and Reynolds Number
Turbulent Flow
Dimensionless Groups in Fluid Mechanics
Boundary Layer Characteristics
Reynolds Transport Theorem
The Buckingham Pi Theorem