HIGH RESOLUTION EXPERIMENTAL MEASUREMENTS OF RICHTMYER-MESHKOV TURBULENCE IN FLUID LAYERS AFTER

Abstract. True ensemble-averaged density self-correlation and Reynolds stress turbulence statistics in a Richtmyer-Meshkov unstable fluid layer after reshock are measured for the first time using simultaneous Particle-Image Velocimetry (PIV)-Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) diagnostic. These high-quality experiments with advanced diagnostics provide important insights into the physics of RM turbulence that cannot be obtained using simple shadowgraphy or Schlieren diagnostics. The double peaked nature of the density self-correlation and the asymmetric character of the Reynolds stress distributions are discussed. Error estimates and convergence rates for several turbulence quantities are also provided