Rayleigh-Taylor instability in dielectric fluids

Abstract

Force on dielectric fluids in the presence of a nonuniform electric field is shown to reduce their specific weights. An appropriately chosen field gradient makes the specific weights of superposed fluids equal and prevents Rayleigh-Taylor instability. We derive the dispersion relation for perturbation at the interface of superposed dielectric fluids, within limits of linear theory, successively for ideal, Newtonian, and those with stratified viscosity. A dimensionless dielectric number is shown to determine the stability of the arrangement.