Double-diffusive sedimentation at high Schmidt numbers: Semi-Lagrangian simulations

When particle-laden freshwater is placed above clear saltwater, double-diffusive sedimentation can arise. Navier-Stokes direct numerical simulations by Burns and Meiburg showed that this process can be dominated by either Rayleigh-Taylor or double-diffusive fingering instabilities. Based on two-dimensional simulations, those authors identify a single dimensionless parameter that can be employed to distinguish between these regimes. Here we develop a high-performance semi-Lagrangian computational approach that enables us to extend these high Schmidt number simulations to three dimensions, and to confirm the validity of their proposed scaling law for three-dimensional flows.