The results of an experimental study of shear-free decaying
grid-generated turbulence on both sides of a sharp interface between
two homogeneous layers of different densities are presented. The
evolution of turbulence and mixing were examined by simultaneously
mapping the velocity (u, w) and density fields (ρ)
and the vertical mass flux $F(=\overline{\rho w}/\rho\prime w\prime)$
together with flow visualization in a low-noise water tunnel.
Buoyancy was induced by salinity differences so the value of the
Schmidt number Sc =
700. Density stratification altered the inertial-buoyancy force
balance (most simply expressed by Nt, the product
of the buoyancy frequency N and turbulent timescale
t) so as to attenuate turbulent velocity
fluctuations, vertical motions and interfacial convolutions,
normalized density fluctuations, vertical flux mass, and mean
interfacial thickness. Vertical velocity fluctuations
w′ were found to increase with distance from
the interface, whereas the u′-distribution can be
non-monotonic. The maximum value of the mass flux,
F, was found to be about 0.5 which was less
than the typical value of 0.7 for thermally stratified wind tunnel
experiments for which
Sc = 0.7. The
vertical mass flux can be a combination of down-gradient and
counter-gradient transport with the ratio varying with
Nt (e.g. at Nt ≈ 5, the flux
is counter-gradient). The flux Richardson number
Rf was found to
increase monotonically to values of approximately 0.05.