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CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY INDU ED BY GRAVITY IN PLASMA WITH A FROZEN-IN MAGNETIC FIELD

Journal Article · · Physics of Fluids (U.S.)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1706342· OSTI ID:4023075
The convective instability induced by gravity in a concpressible fluid layer is investigated in the special case of a plasma with a frozen-in magnetic field B. The necessary and sufficient condition for stability, which is here derived from the hydromagnetic energy principle, is that the density gradient should exceed a certain critical value that is independent of B. Thus the rigidity given to the plasma by the frozen-in field does not suffice to remove the instability but only to slow it down. The growth rates of the unstable displacements are calculated by means of a normal mode analysis and are shown to be inversely proportional to B when B is sufficiently large. (auth)
Research Organization:
Univ. of California, Livermore
NSA Number:
NSA-15-016579
OSTI ID:
4023075
Report Number(s):
UCRL-6034-T; 0031-9171
Journal Information:
Physics of Fluids (U.S.), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids (U.S.) Vol. Vol: 4; ISSN PFLDA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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