Visualization of Rayleigh–Taylor flows from Boussinesq approximation to fully compressible Navier–Stokes model

Visualizations of Rayleigh–Taylor turbulent mixing layers are presented. Three Navier–Stokes models are used: Boussinesq, anelastic and fully compressible. Isosurfaces and slices of concentration, vorticity, Q-criterion, turbulent kinetic energy, local Taylor-microscale Reynolds number, dissipation, pressure and temperature are displayed. This gives an overall picture of the Rayleigh–Taylor flows where common features and differences between results obtained from these three models are emphasized. In particular, transition to turbulence and compressibility effects, including asymmetry, are shown. (paper)