Large-scale analysis of unconfined self-similar Rayleigh–Taylor turbulence

Abstract

The large-scale properties of unconfined Rayleigh–Taylor turbulence are investigated using an eddy-damped quasi-normal markovianized approximation. Within this framework, turbulent spectra are shown to undergo at late times and at large scales, an evolution dominated by non-linear backscattering processes. As a result, the analysis predicts that large scale initial conditions are eventually forgotten: there is no large scale invariant and no equivalent of a principle of permanence of large eddies. Additional properties of Rayleigh–Taylor large scales are also discussed. In particular, their scaling and anisotropy are examined, with an emphasis put on the combined influence of buoyancy production and non-linearities. The different assumptions and predictions of this work are verified by performing an implicit large eddy simulation of a Rayleigh–Taylor configuration.