Rayleigh-Taylor instability driven nonlinear vortices in dusty plasmas

Journal Article · Fri Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1881452· OSTI ID:20736549

Veeresha, B M; Das, Amita; Sen, Abhijit ^[1]

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1. Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428 (India)

The low frequency stability of a dusty plasma with a nonuniform mass and charge distribution of the dust component is studied. It is shown that the inverse stratification of the dust mass density in a gravitational field may lead to a Rayleigh-Taylor-like instability. In the nonlinear regime this instability can produce an incompressible flow pattern of spontaneously rotating dust plasma fluid. This result can have potential applications in the interpretation of vortical patterns observed in laboratory experiments as well as in a variety of astrophysical situations where the generation and sustenance of angular momentum are important issues.

• OSTI ID: 20736549
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 12; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CHARGE DISTRIBUTION
DUSTS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA WAVES
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
VORTICES