Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a thermal interface in a two-fluid plasma
Type
ArticleKAUST Grant Number
URF/1/2162-01Date
2017-11-03Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/626641
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Show full item recordAbstract
We computationally investigate the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a density interface with a single-mode perturbation in a two-fluid, ion–electron plasma with no initial magnetic field. Self-generated magnetic fields arise subsequently. We study the case where the density jump across the initial interface is due to a thermal discontinuity, and select plasma parameters for which two-fluid plasma effects are expected to be significant in order to elucidate how they alter the instability. The instability is driven via a Riemann problem generated precursor electron shock that impacts the density interface ahead of the ion shock. The resultant charge separation and motion generates electromagnetic fields that cause the electron shock to degenerate and periodically accelerate the electron and ion interfaces, driving Rayleigh–Taylor instability. This generates small-scale structures and substantially increases interfacial growth over the hydrodynamic case.Citation
Bond D, Wheatley V, Samtaney R, Pullin DI (2017) Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a thermal interface in a two-fluid plasma. Journal of Fluid Mechanics 833: 332–363. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2017.693.Sponsors
This research was supported by the KAUST Office of Sponsored Research under Award URF/1/2162-01. This work was supported by computational resources provided by the Australian Government under the National Computational Merit Allocation Scheme.Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)Journal
Journal of Fluid MechanicsISSN
0022-11201469-7645
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1017/jfm.2017.693