Three-dimensional evolution of magnetic and velocity shear driven instabilities in a compressible magnetized jet
- Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centrum voor Plasma Astrofysica, Celestijnenlaan 200B, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium)
- Dipartimento di Astronomia e Scienza dello Spazio, Universita degli Studi di Firenze, Largo E. Fermi, 2, I-50125 Firenze (Italy)
- INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via C. Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy)
The problem of three-dimensional combined magnetic and velocity shear driven instabilities of a compressible magnetized jet modeled as a plane neutral/current double vortex sheet in the framework of the resistive magnetohydrodynamics is addressed. The resulting dynamics given by the stream+current sheet interaction is analyzed and the effects of a variable geometry of the basic fields are considered. Depending on the basic asymptotic magnetic field configuration, a selection rule of the linear instability modes can be obtained. Hence, the system follows a two-stage path developing either through a fully three-dimensional dynamics with a rapid evolution of kink modes leading to a final turbulent state, or rather through a driving two-dimensional instability pattern that develops on parallel planes on which a reconnection+coalescence process takes place.
- OSTI ID:
- 21277217
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 16, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3142467; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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