A variational approach to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of an accelerating plasma slab. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6368364

Targove, J D

The growth rate of the hydromagnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability is approximated here for an accelerating plasma slab. The slab is chosen as a large-radius approximation to an imploding cylindrical foil. A normal mode solution of the MHD equations is assumed, resulting in an integral relation for the instability growth rate. The Rayleigh-Ritz variational method is applied to the relation to estimate the growth rate. A linearly decreasing magnetic field is assumed in the slab perpendicular to the acceleration. A corresponding equilibrium mass density profile is then found. Growth rate estimates are then made for these profiles. Calculations are made for perturbation wavevectors perpendicular to the acceleration and at an angle theta to the magnetic field. The growth rates for theta = 90 degrees compare favorably with LeLevier et al's results for a continuous density transition (14). Growth rates for theta = 0 degrees are stable for all perturbation wavelengths and magnetic field strengths. This contradicts prior results in both slab and cylindrical geometry and suggests an error in this work.

• Research Organization: Air Force Inst. of Tech., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (USA). School of Engineering
• OSTI ID: 6368364
• Report Number(s): AD-A-118074/4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640430* -- Fluid Physics-- Magnetohydrodynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
IMPLOSIONS
INSTABILITY
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
SIMULATION