Parametric effects on Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a V-shaped gaseous interface within linear stage

Abstract

The Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a V-shaped air/SF6 gaseous interface is numerically studied via a high-order finite difference scheme and a localized artificial diffusivity method. The oblique angle of the interface ranges from 20° to 75°, and the incident shock Mach number varies from 1.05 to 1.75. The wave patterns and the vortex structures are visualized during the interface evolution. A cavity is observed at the spike fingertip when the oblique angle decreases, which proves to be formed due to Mach reflection of the transmitted shock through velocity decomposition. By analyzing the linear growth rates of the interface, a modified empirical model for the reduction factor is suggested with model coefficients acquired by linear fitting for different Mach numbers. With shock polar analysis (SPA) method and visualization of the wave configuration, a criterion is proposed to explain the non-monotonic dependence of the linear growth rate on the oblique angle. In addition, Mach number effects on the linear growth rate are discussed by the SPA method, especially the anomalous behavior of the Mach 1.05 case.