Experimental study on the mechanism of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability at a gas-liquid interface

The mechanism of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability was experimentally studied in a vertical rectangular shock tube. The velocity of the interface driven by the shock wave was measured by a self-designed measurement system, which consists of semiconductor lasers, signal amplification circuits, digital oscilloscope and computer. Tests were carried out at several shock wave Mach numbers. In addition, the movement of the interface and the variation of the mixed zone width with time were recorded by high-speed photography. The experimental results show that the interface velocity increases with the increase of the Mach number, and the distance of the interface's movement and the width of the mixed zone vary with time in a linear relationship.