Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

When a heavy fluid sits atop a lighter fluid, small perturbations grow exponentially — fingering downward as plumes rise. A ubiquitous instability from supernovae to ocean mixing.

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Growth rate: γ = √(A·g·k)  |  Atwood A = (ρ₂−ρ₁)/(ρ₂+ρ₁)