Hydrodynamic Instabilities and Turbulence

Turbulent mixing induced by hydrodynamic instabilities is found in many high- and low- energy-density regimes, ranging from supernovae to inertial confinement fusion to scramjet engines. While these applications have long been recognized, unprecedented advances in both computational and experimental tools have provided novel, critical insights to the field. Incorporating the most recent theoretical, computational, and experimental results, this title provides a comprehensive yet accessible description of turbulent mixing driven by Rayleigh–Taylor, Richtmyer–Meshkov, and Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities. An overview of core concepts and equations is provided, followed by detailed descriptions of complex and turbulent flows. The influences of stabilizing mechanisms, rotations, magnetic fields, and time-dependent accelerations on the evolution of hydrodynamic instabilities are explained. This book is ideal for advanced undergraduates as well as graduates beginning research in this exciting field, while also functioning as an authoritative reference volume for researchers in the wide range of disciplines for which it has applications.