Scaling laws of nonlinear Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities in two and three dimensions

The late-time nonlinear evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) and Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instabilities for random initial perturbations is investigated using a statistical mechanics model based on single-mode and bubble-competition physics at al Atwood numbers (A) and full numerical simulations in two and three dimensions. It is shown that the RT mixing zone bubble and spike fronts evolve as h∼α.A.gt2 with different values of α for the bubble and spike fronts. The RM mixing zone fronts evolve as h∼θ with different values of θ for bubbles and spikes. Similar analysis yields a linear growth with time of the Kelvin-Helmholtz mixing zone. The dependence of the RT and RM scaling parameters on A and the dimensionality will be discussed. The 3-D predictions are found to be in good agreement with recent Linear Electric Motor (LEM) experiments. (authors)