dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaNonlinear saturation of magnetic curvature driven Rayleigh Taylor instability in three dimensions
| Authors | Abhijit Sen, Amita Das, Predhiman Kaw, S. Benkadda, P. Beyer |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0410178 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0410178 |
Abstract
We present three dimensional fluid simulation results on the temporal evolution and nonlinear saturation of the magnetic curvature driven Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability. The model set of coupled nonlinear equations evolve the scalar electric field potential $\phi$, plasma density $n$ and the parallel component of the magnetic vector potential $\psi$. The simulations have been carried out in two limits, (i) a low resistivity case in which RT is the only linearly growing mode, and (ii) a high resistivity case where the drift wave is unstable and for which the magnetic curvature parameter is set to zero to ensure the absence of the RT growth. Our simulations show nonlinear stabilization in both these limits. The stabilization mechanism is similar to that observed in earlier two dimensional simulations, namely the generation of zonal shear flows which decorrelate the radially extended unstable modes. However the nature of the saturated nonlinear state in the 3d case differs from that of 2d in some important ways such as by having significant levels of power in short scales and by the presence of electromagnetic fluctuations. Though, in the linear regime the electromagnetic effects reduce the growth rates, in the nonlinear regime their presence hinders the process of stabilization by inhibiting the process of zonal flow formation. Thus the parameter regime for which nonlinear stabilization takes place is considerably reduced in three dimensions.
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"abstract": "We present three dimensional fluid simulation results on the temporal\nevolution and nonlinear saturation of the magnetic curvature driven\nRayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability. The model set of coupled nonlinear equations\nevolve the scalar electric field potential $\\phi$, plasma density $n$ and the\nparallel component of the magnetic vector potential $\\psi$. The simulations\nhave been carried out in two limits, (i) a low resistivity case in which RT is\nthe only linearly growing mode, and (ii) a high resistivity case where the\ndrift wave is unstable and for which the magnetic curvature parameter is set to\nzero to ensure the absence of the RT growth. Our simulations show nonlinear\nstabilization in both these limits. The stabilization mechanism is similar to\nthat observed in earlier two dimensional simulations, namely the generation of\nzonal shear flows which decorrelate the radially extended unstable modes.\nHowever the nature of the saturated nonlinear state in the 3d case differs from\nthat of 2d in some important ways such as by having significant levels of power\nin short scales and by the presence of electromagnetic fluctuations. Though, in\nthe linear regime the electromagnetic effects reduce the growth rates, in the\nnonlinear regime their presence hinders the process of stabilization by\ninhibiting the process of zonal flow formation. Thus the parameter regime for\nwhich nonlinear stabilization takes place is considerably reduced in three\ndimensions.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0410178",
"authors": [
"Abhijit Sen",
"Amita Das",
"Predhiman Kaw",
"S. Benkadda",
"P. Beyer"
],
"categories": [
"physics.plasm-ph"
],
"title": "Nonlinear saturation of magnetic curvature driven Rayleigh Taylor instability in three dimensions",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0410178"
},
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