Demonstrations

Shock Wave Fronts: Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

Code Number :	2C40.90
Disclaimer:	Reprinted by permission of Dick Berg, University of Maryland, for use on this website. The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this Facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and his/her staff. The University is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment using established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources. Further information regarding legal liability in use of demonstrations and labs will be found on the web site Injuries in School/College Laboratories in USA. The University of Iowa Disclaimers: University of Iowa Disclaimer All Rights Reserved..
Condition :	Excellent
Principle :	Meeting of two wave fronts, Plasma Interactions
Area of Study :	Solar and Galactic Astronomy
Equipment :	Shock Wave Demo.
Procedure :	This demo should need no preparation unless the liquids should need changing. To change the liquids it may be necessary to empty the unit with a syringe and long needle. Rinse several times with ethyl alcohol and dry with a small air hose. Use water and food coloring for the bottom layer and castor oil for the top layer. Make sure all air bubbles are removed. Place on a level surface. If the unit has not been used in a long time it may be a good idea to flip it over several times to rewet the inner walls with oil before demonstrating. As the Plexiglas allows water to pass over time, it will be necessary to take the air out and refill with a small amount of water about every year. Tilt the wave vessels from side to side and observe the waves a curls produced by the shear force of the two fluids.

Web Links

Dan Russell's Acoustics and Vibration Animations. www.kettering.edu/~drussell/demos.html

References

Robert F. Benjamin, "Rayleigh-Taylor Instability-Fascinating Gateway to the Study of Fluid Dynamics," TPT, Vol. 37, # 6, p. 332-336, Sept. 1999.

A. R. Piriz, O. D. Cortazar, and J. J. Lopez Cela, N. A. Tahir, "The Raleigh-Taylor Instability", AJP, Vol. 74, # 12, Dec. 2006, p. 1095.

Michael P. Brenner and Howard A. Stone, "Modern Classical Physics Through the Work of G.I. Taylor," Physics Today, May 2000, pp. 30-35.

Gloria B. Lubkin, "Combustion in Two Dimensions Yields Fingering Instability," Physics Today, January 1999.

Leo P. Kadanoff, "Turbulent Heat Flow: Structures and Scaling," Physics Today, pp. 34-39, Aug. 2001.

Dick Teresi, "Mysteries of Lake Champlain," pp. 176-181, Science Supplement, Grolier Incorporated.

Mail Questions and Comments to: Dale Stille