Similarity of Rayleigh-Taylor Instability Development on Scales from 1 mm to One Light Year

Michael C. Kelley, Eugene Dao, Carolyn Kuranz, Hans Stenbaek-Nielsen

.

DOI: 10.4236/ijaa.2011.14022                

Abstract

In this paper, we describe three different phenomena occurring on scales of 1 mm, 100 km, and almost a light year. The smallest scale is a laboratory experiment. The intermediate scale is a rocket-borne space experiment and the largest is an exploding star. In each case, deceleration creates a situation that is unstable to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The similarity exists in the spatial and in the Fourier domains; that is, not only are there obvious spatial similarities but the power spectra of the two phenomena are also nearly identical. The data compare favorably to published simulations.

Keywords

Rayleigh-Taylor Instability, Decelerating Fluid, Exploding Star, Active Experiment

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	“Gas Ring around Super Nova 1987A,” online image, 2 February 2000, cited July 2008. http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/entire_collection/pr2000011b/
[2]	B. Fryxell, E. Muller and D. Arnett, “Instabilities and Clumping in SN 1987A. I - Early Evolution in Two Dimensions,” The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 367, 1991, pp. 619-634. doi:10.1086/169657
[3]	E. Muller, B. Fryxell and D. Arnett, “Instability and Clum- ping in SN 1987A,” The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 251, 1991, pp. 505-514.
[4]	E. M. Wescott, H. C. Stenbaek-Nielsen, T. Hallinan, C. Dee- hr, J. Romich, J. Olson, M. C. Kelley, R. Pfaff, R. B. Tor- bert, P. Newell, H. Foppl, J. Fedder and H. Mitchell, “Plasma-Depleted Holes, Waves, and Energized Particles from High-Altitude Explosive Plasma Perturbation Experiments,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 90, No. A5, 1985, pp. 4281-4298. doi:10.1029/JA090iA05p04281
[5]	D. D. Ryutov, R. P. Drake, J. Kane, E. Liang, B. A. Re- mington and M. Wood-Vasey, “Similarity Criteria for the Laboratory Simulation of Supernova Hydrodynamics,” The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 518, No. 2, 1999, pp. 821-832. doi:10.1086/307293
[6]	J. Kane, D. Arnett, B. A. Remington, S. G. Glendinning, G. Bazan, R. P. Drake, B. A. Fryxell, R. Teyssier and K. Moore, “Scaling Supernova Hydrodynamics to the Laboratory,” Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 6, No. 5, 1999, pp. 2065- 2072. doi:10.1063/1.873497
[7]	R. P. Drake, “Laboratory Experiments to Simulate the Hydrodynamics of Supernova Remnants and Supernovae,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 104, No. A7, 1999, pp. 14505-14515. doi:10.1029/98JA02829
[8]	C. C. Kuranz, R. P. Drake, D. R. Leibrandt, E. C. Harding, H. F. Robey, A. R. Miles, B. E. Blue, J. F. Hansen, H. Louis, M. Bono, J. Knauer, D. Arnett and C. A. Meakin, “Progress toward the Study of Laboratory Scale, Astrophysically Relevant, Turbulent Plasmas,” Astrophysics and Space Science, Vol. 298, No. 1-2, 2005, pp. 9-16. doi:10.1007/s10509-005-3906-4
[9]	L. Rayleigh, “Scientific Papers,” Vol. II, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1900.
[10]	G. I. Taylor, “The Instability of Liquid Surfaces When Accelerated in a Direction Perpendicular to Their Planes,” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Vol. A201, No. 1065, 1950, pp. 192-196.