Numerical simulation of Rayleigh-Taylor instability in inviscid and viscous media

Abstract

The Rayleigh-Taylor instability in viscous and inviscid compressible media is analyzed by applying the numerical simulation of the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. It is shown that the development of hydrodynamic instabilities leads to the formation of an eddy cascade, which, after the onset of turbulence in the flow, corresponds to an eddy cascade developing in the energy and inertial ranges. The results reveal that the developing flows and the parameters under study are identical for both models.