The report presents the basic results of some calculations, theoretical and experimental efforts in the study of Rayleigh-Taylor, Kelvin-Helmholtz, Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities and the turbulent mixing which is caused by their evolution. Since the late forties the VNIIEF has been conducting these investigations. This report is based on the data which were published in different times in Russian and foreign journals. The first part of the report deals with calculations an theoretical techniques for the description of hydrodynamic instabilities applied currently, as well as with the results of several individual problems and their comparison with the experiment. These methods can be divided into two types: direct numerical simulation methods and phenomenological methods. The first type includes the regular 2D and 3D gasdynamical techniques as well as the techniques based on small perturbation approximation and on incompressible liquid approximation. The second type comprises the techniques based on various phenomenological turbulence models. The second part of the report describes the experimental methods and cites the experimental results of Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meskov instability studies as well as of turbulent mixing. The applied methods were based on thin-film gaseous models, on jelly models and liquid layer models. The research was done for plane and cylindrical geometries. As drivers, the shock tubes of different designs were used as well as gaseous explosive mixtures, compressed air and electric wire explosions. The experimental results were applied in calculational-theoretical technique calibrations. The authors did not aim at covering all VNIIEF research done in this field of science. To a great extent the choice of the material depended on the personal contribution of the author in these studies.

The book provides an original approach in the research of structural analysis of free developed shear compressible turbulence at high Reynolds number on the base of direct numerical simulation (DNS) and instability evolution for ideal medium (integral conservation laws) with approximate mechanism of dissipation (FLUX dissipative monotone ?upwind? difference schemes) and does not use any explicit sub-grid approximation and semi-empirical models of turbulence. Convective mixing is considered as a principal part of conservation law.Appropriate hydrodynamic instabilities (free developed shear turbulence) are investigated from unique point of view. It is based on the concept of large ordered structures with stochastic core of small scale developed turbulence (?turbulent spot?). Decay of ?turbulent spot? are simulated by Monte Carlo method. Proposed approach is based on two hypotheses: statistical independence of the characteristic of large ordered structures (LOS) and small-scale turbulence (ST) ?and? weak influence of molecular viscosity (or more generally, dissipative mechanism) on properties of large ordered structures.Two versions of instabilities, due to Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov are studied detail by the three-dimensional calculations, extended to the large temporal intervals, up to turbulent stage and investigation turbulent mixing zone (TMZ).The book covers both the fundamental and practical aspects of turbulence and instability and summarizes the result of numerical experiments conducted over 30 years period with direct participation of the author.In the book are cited the opinions of the leading scientists in this area of research: Acad. A S Monin (Russia), Prof. Y Nakamura (Japan, Nagoya University) and Prof. F Harlow (USA, Los-Alamos).

Reviews our current understanding of the subject. For graduate students and researchers in computational fluid dynamics and turbulence.

The first comprehensive reference guide to turbulent mixing driven by Rayleigh-Taylor, Richtmyer-Meshkov and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities.

This book is a complete revision of the part of Monin & Yaglom's famous two-volume work "Statistical Fluid Mechanics: Mechanics of Turbulence" that deals with the theory of laminar-flow instability and transition to turbulence. It includes the considerable advances in the subject that have been made in the last 15 years or so. It is intended as a textbook for advanced graduate courses and as a reference for research students and professional research workers. The first two Chapters are an introduction to the mathematics, and the experimental results, for the instability of laminar (or inviscid) flows to infinitesimal (in practice "small") disturbances. The third Chapter develops this linear theory in more detail and describes its application to particular problems. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with instability to finite-amplitude disturbances: much of the material has previously been available only in research papers.