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Eur. Phys. J. B 4, 475-484
Fingering instability in a water-sand mixture
A. Lange1 - M. Schröter2 - M.A. Scherer2 - A. Engel1 - I. Rehberg2
1 Institut für Theoretische Physik,
Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, Postfach 4120,
39016 Magdeburg,
Germany
2 Institut für Experimentelle Physik,
Otto-von-Guericke-Universität,
Postfach 4120,
39016 Magdeburg,
Germany
Received: 12 December 1997 / Revised: 23 March 1998 / Accepted: 28 April 1998
Abstract
The temporal evolution of a water-sand interface
driven by gravity is experimentally investigated. By means of a Fourier
analysis of the evolving interface the growth rates are determined for the
different modes appearing in the developing front. To model the observed
behavior we apply the idea of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability for two
stratified fluids. Carrying out a linear stability analysis we calculate
the growth rates from the corresponding dispersion relations for finite
and infinite cell sizes. Based on the theoretical results the viscosity
of the suspension is estimated to be approximately 100 times higher
than that of pure water, in agreement with other experimental findings.
PACS
47.54.+r Pattern selection; pattern formation -
47.55.Kf Multiphase and particle-laden flows -
68.10.-m Fluid surfaces and fluid-fluid interfaces
Author for correspondance: adrian.lange@physik.uni-magdeburg.de
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