The magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability and flute waves at the ion Larmor radius scales

Journal Article · Tue Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3554661· OSTI ID:21535144

Onishchenko, O G; Pokhotelov, O A ^[1]; Stenflo, L ^[2]; Shukla, P K ^[3]

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1. Institute of Physics of the Earth, 10 B. Gruzinskaya, 123995 Moscow (Russian Federation)
2. Department of Physics, Linkoeping University, SE-58183 Linkoeping (Sweden)
3. RUB International Chair, International Centre for Advanced Studies in Physical Sciences, Fakultaet fuer Physik und Astronomie, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)

The theory of flute waves (with arbitrary spatial scales compared to the ion Larmor radius) driven by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) is developed. Both the kinetic and hydrodynamic models are considered. In this way we have extended the previous analysis of RTI carried out in the long wavelength limit. It is found that complete finite ion Larmor radius stabilization is absent when the ion diamagnetic velocity attains the ion gravitation drift velocity. The hydrodynamic approach allowed us to deduce a new set of nonlinear equations for flute waves with arbitrary spatial scales. It is shown that the previously deduced equations are inadequate when the wavelength becomes of the order of the ion Larmor radius. In the linear limit a Fourier transform of these equations yields the dispersion relation which in the so-called Pade approximation corresponds to the results of the fully kinetic treatment. The development of such a theory gives us enough grounds for an adequate description of the RTI stabilization by the finite ion Larmor radius effect.

• OSTI ID: 21535144
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3554661; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
DISPERSION RELATIONS
FLUTE INSTABILITY
FOURIER TRANSFORMATION
HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL
LARMOR RADIUS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PADE APPROXIMATION
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
STABILIZATION
APPROXIMATIONS
CALCULATION METHODS
INSTABILITY
INTEGRAL TRANSFORMATIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PARTICLE MODELS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
STATISTICAL MODELS
THERMODYNAMIC MODEL
TRANSFORMATIONS