Hydrodynamic instabilities in an imploding cylindrical plasma shell
Hydrodynamic instabilities of a cylindrical plasma shell which is imploded by the pressure of an external massless fluid are considered. The plasma shell is assumed to be a compressible, isentropic fluid which is describable as an ideal gas ( p = arho/sup ..gamma../, ..gamma..not =1). The unperturbed plasma shell is assumed to undergo a self-similar motion. This assumption together with mass conservation determines the time-dependent pressure profile of the plasma shell. Linear stability analyses for this prescribed self-similar motion are carried out analytically. Stability criteria are obtained in terms of the ratio of specific heats ..gamma.. and an azimuthal mode number of perturbations. It is shown that the imploding plasma shell is unstable to compressible perturbations when ..gamma..<2. In the case of incompressible perturbations, similar calculations show that the Rayleigh-Taylor instability occurs at the outer surface and, in addition, the unstable mode develops at the inner surface. A plausible mechanism for the development of the unstable mode at the inner surface is given.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
- OSTI ID:
- 5075471
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Vol. 26:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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