Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 December 2019
We investigate experimentally the effect of double diffusion in the salt-fingering configuration on entrainment in turbulent plumes. Plumes over a range of source buoyancy fluxes $B_{0}$ and source density ratios $R_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}$ are examined. When the plumes are double diffusive ($R_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}>0$) the entrainment coefficient $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$ is not constant, with an up to 20 % reduction from the value found for single-diffusive plumes, that is, plumes with $R_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}}=0$. The scale of reduction is found to be in direct relation to the source density ratio and is inversely related to the distance travelled by the plume, indicating that double-diffusive effects decrease as the plume evolves. We propose an explanation for the observed reduction in the entrainment coefficient on the basis of differential diffusion hindering large-scale engulfment at the edge of the plume.