Stability and onset of two-dimensional viscous fingering in immiscible fluids

Abstract: Viscous flows in a quasi-two-dimensional Hele-Shaw geometry can lead to an interfacial instability when one fluid, of viscosity $\eta_{in}$ displaces another of higher viscosity, $\eta_{out}$. Recent studies have shown that there is a delay in the onset of fingering in miscible fluids as the viscosity ratio, $\eta_{in}/\eta_{out}$, increases and approaches unity; the interface can remain stable even though the displacing liquid is less viscous. This paper shows that a delayed onset and stable pattern can occur in immiscible fluids as well. However, there are two significant differences between the two cases. First, in miscible fluids, stable patterns are obtained whenever $\eta_{in}/\eta_{out} > 0.33$ while in immiscible fluids, the radius at which the onset of fingering starts, $R_{onset}$, increases steadily until $\eta_{in}/\eta_{out}=1$. A stable pattern is obtained only when the total size of the plate used is smaller than $R_{onset}$. Second, once the delayed fingering starts in immiscible fluids, the fingers grow faster than the central circular region. In miscible fluids, there is a regime in which the fingers and the central region grow in proportion to each other. These differences between miscible and immiscible fingering are maintained even when we compare immiscible fluids that have very low interfacial tension with miscible fluids that have negligible diffusion.