Richtmyer–Meshkov instability on a low Atwood number interface after reshock

Abstract

The Richtmyer–Meshkov instability after reshock is investigated in shock tube experiments at the Wisconsin Shock Tube Laboratory using planar laser imaging and a new high-speed interface-tracking technique. The interface is a mixture of helium and argon (50% each by volume) stratified over pure argon. This interface has an Atwood number of 0.29 and a near single-mode, two-dimensional, standing wave perturbation with an average amplitude of 0.35 cm and a wavelength of 19.4 cm. The incident shock wave of Mach number 1.92 accelerates the interface before reflecting from the shock tube end wall with M = 1.70 and accelerating the interface in the opposite direction. The amplitude growth after reshock is reported for variations in this initial amplitude, and several amplitude growth rate models are compared to the experimental growth rate after reshock. A new growth model is introduced, based on a model of circulation deposition calculated from one-dimensional gas dynamics parameters. This model compares well with the amplitude growth rate after reshock and the circulation over one-half wavelength of the interface after the first shock wave and after reshock.