scholarly journals Magnetic Rayleigh–Taylor instability at a contact discontinuity with an oblique magnetic field

2020 ◽  
Vol 634 ◽  
pp. A96
Author(s):  
E. Vickers ◽  
I. Ballai ◽  
R. Erdélyi

Aims. We investigate the nature of the magnetic Rayleigh–Taylor instability at a density interface that is permeated by an oblique homogeneous magnetic field in an incompressible limit. Methods. Using the system of linearised ideal incompressible magnetohydrodynamics equations, we derive the dispersion relation for perturbations of the contact discontinuity by imposing the necessary continuity conditions at the interface. The imaginary part of the frequency describes the growth rate of waves due to instability. The growth rate of waves is studied by numerically solving the dispersion relation. Results. The critical wavenumber at which waves become unstable, which is present for a parallel magnetic field, disappears because the magnetic field is inclined. Instead, waves are shown to be unstable for all wavenumbers. Theoretical results are applied to diagnose the structure of the magnetic field in prominence threads. When we apply our theoretical results to observed waves in prominence plumes, we obtain a wide range of field inclination angles, from 0.5° up to 30°. These results highlight the diagnostic possibilities that our study offers.

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 611-622
Author(s):  
K.B. Chavaraddi ◽  
V.B. Awati ◽  
M.M. Nandeppanavar ◽  
P.M. Gouder

Abstract In this study we examine the effect of the magnetic field parameter on the growth rate of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) in a couple stress fluids. A simple theory based on fully developed flow approximations is used to derive the dispersion relation for the growth rate of the RTI. The general dispersion relation obtained using perturbation equations with appropriate boundary conditions will be reduced for the special cases of propagation and the condition of instability and stability will be obtained. In solving the problem of the R-T instability the appropriate boundary conditions will be applied. The couple-stress parameter is found to be stabilizing and the influence of the various parameters involved in the problem on the interface stability is thoroughly analyzed. The new results will be obtained by plotting the curves between the dimensionless growth rate and the dimensionless wave number for various physical parameters involved in the problem (viz. the magnetic field, couple-stress, porosity, etc.) in the problem. It is found that the magnetic field and couple-stress have a stabilization effect whereas the buoyancy force (surface tension) has a destabilization effect on the RT instability in the presence of porous media.


2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen Sharma ◽  
Ram Prajapati ◽  
Rajendra Chhajlani

The linear Rayleigh-Taylor instability of two superposed incompressible magnetized fluids is investigated incorporating the effects of suspended dust particles and viscosity. The basic magnetohydrodynamic set of equations have been constructed and linearized. The dispersion relation for 2-D and 3-D perturbations is obtained by applying the appropriate boundary conditions. The condition of Rayleigh-Taylor instability is investigated for potentially stable and unstable modes, which depends upon magnetic field, viscosity and suspended dust particles. The stability of the system is discussed by applying the Routh-Hurwitz criterion. It is found that the Alfven mode comes into the dispersion relation for perturbations in x, y-directions and in only x-direction, while it does not come into y-directional perturbation. The stable configuration is found to remain stable even in the presence of suspended dust particles. Numerical calculations have been performed to see the effects of various parameters on the growth rate of Rayleigh-Taylor instability. It is found that magnetic field and relaxation frequency of suspended dust particles both have destabilizing influence on the growth rate of Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The effects of kinematic viscosity and mass concentration of dust particles are found to have stabilized the growth rate of linear Rayleigh-Taylor instability.


1984 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. 939-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Chhajlani ◽  
R. K. Sanghvi ◽  
P. Purohit

Abstract The hydromagnetric Rayleigh-Taylor instability of a composite medium has been studied in the presence of suspended particles for an exponentially varying density distribution. The prevalent horizontal magnetic field and viscosity of the medium are assumed to be variable. The dispersion relation is derived for such a medium. It is found that the stability criterion is independent of both viscosity and suspended particles. The system can be stabilized for an appropriate value of the magnetic field. It is found that the suspended particles can suppress as well as enhance the growth rate of the instability in certain regions. The growth rates are obtained for a viscid medium with the inclusion of suspended particles and without it. It has been shown analytically that the growth rate is modified by the inclusion of the relaxation frequency parameter of the suspended particles.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (S300) ◽  
pp. 90-93
Author(s):  
E. Khomenko ◽  
A. Díaz ◽  
A. de Vicente ◽  
M. Collados ◽  
M. Luna

AbstractWe study Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) at the coronal–prominence boundary by means of 2.5D numerical simulations in a single-fluid MHD approach including a generalized Ohm's law. The initial configuration includes a homogeneous magnetic field forming an angle with the direction in which the plasma is perturbed. For each field inclination we compare two simulations, one for the pure MHD case, and one including the ambipolar diffusion in the Ohm's law, otherwise identical. We find that the configuration containing neutral atoms is always unstable. The growth rate of the small-scale modes in the non-linear regime is larger than in the purely MHD case.


1976 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Kalra ◽  
S. N. Kathuria

Nonlinear theory of Rayleigh—Taylor instability in plasma supported by a vacuum magnetic field shows that the growth rate of the mode, unstable in the linear theory, increases if the wavelength of perturbation π lies betweenand 2πcrit. This might have an important bearing on the proposed thermonuclear MHD power generation experiments.


2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. RUDRAIAH ◽  
B.S. KRISHNAMURTHY ◽  
A.S. JALAJA ◽  
TARA DESAI

The Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) of a laser-accelerated ablative surface of a thin plasma layer in an inertial fusion energy (IFE) target with incompressible electrically conducting plasma in the presence of a transverse magnetic field is investigated using linear stability analysis. A simple theory based on Stokes-lubrication approximation is proposed. It is shown that the effect of a transverse magnetic field is to reduce the growth rate of RTI considerably over the value it would have in the absence of a magnetic field. This is useful in the extraction of IFE efficiently.


1974 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 518-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. Srivastava

We have investigated the effect of finite Larmor radius on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of a semi-infinite, compressible, stratified and infinitely conducting plasma. The plasma is assumed to have a one dimensional density and magnetic field gradients. The eigenvalue problem has been solved under Boussinesq approximation for disturbances parallel to the magnetic field. It has been established that for perturbation parallel to the magnetic field, the system is stable for both stable and unstable stratification. For perturbation perpendicular to the magnetic field, the problem has been solved without Boussinesq approximation. The dispersion relation has been discussed in the two limiting cases, the short and long wave disturbances. It has been observed that the gyroviscosity has a destabilizing influence from k = 0 to k = 4.5 for ß* = 0.1 and for ß* = 0.1 up to k* = 2.85 and then onwards it acts as a stabilizing agent. It has a damping effect on the short wave disturbances. For some parameters, the largets imaginary part has been shown in Figs. 1 and 2


1998 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. K. SHARMA ◽  
R. K. CHHAJLANI

The Kelvin–Helmholtz (K–H) instability of two fluids of plasma streaming in opposite directions with the same velocity and in the presence of an external magnetic field is investigated. The usual magnetohydrodynamic equations with anisotropic pressure are considered. In the present problem, the two pressures parallel and perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field are defined by polytropic pressure laws. The generalized pressure relations are used, and two equations of state for two pressures are assumed. The equations are linearized, and initially two different flow velocities are taken for the system. The flow is assumed to be in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. The problem is solved and a dispersion relation is obtained. From the dispersion relation, the K–H instability condition is obtained. It is found that the instability condition depends upon the polytropic indices of the pressure relations. The condition of instability is further obtained for MHD and Chew–Goldberger–Low systems. It is also found that the growth rate of the instability depends upon various polytropic indices.


1970 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. F. Döbele

Abstract The Rayleigh-Taylor instability of a rotating hydrogen arc in an axial magnetic field is investigated with allowance for electrical conduction, heat conduction and viscosity. The r-depending part of the perturbation was assumed to be in the form of a half-period of a standing wave. The corresponding dispersion relation is derived in the WKB-approximation and is solved numerically. In contrast with the case without dissipation, the frequencies and growth rates of the different modes depend on the parameters of the unperturbed plasma column. The calculation shows, in qualitative agreement with the experiment, that with increasing magnetic field the highest growth rate passes successively to the next higher mode.


1969 ◽  
Vol 47 (22) ◽  
pp. 2435-2437 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. Ariel ◽  
P. K. Bhatia

The effects of a finite Larmor radius of the ions are investigated on the Rayleigh–Taylor instability of a plasma in which there is a density gradient in a direction perpendicular to that of the magnetic field. It is found that the unstable configuration is completely stabilized by the finite Larmor radius effect.


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