[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 9, 1403076 (2014)

Regular Articles

Hall and Gyro-Viscosity Effects on the Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in a 2D Rectangular Slab
Ryosuke GOTO1), Hideaki MIURA1,2), Atsushi ITO1,2), Masahiko SATO2) and Tomoharu HATORI1)
1)
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, 322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki, Gifu 509-5292, Japan
2)
National Institute for Fusion Science, 322-6 Oroshi-cho, Toki, Gifu 509-5292, Japan
(Received 5 August 2013 / Accepted 18 January 2014 / Published 10 June 2014)

Abstract

Effects of the Hall term and the gyro-viscosity on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a 2D rectangular slab are studied numerically. Nonlinear magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations with these effects reveal that the combination of the Hall term and the gyro-viscosity causes the lower growth rates and the lower saturation level of unstable modes relative those in the single-fluid MHD case, while neither the gyro-viscosity nor the Hall term shows a strong stabilization effect only by itself. It is also shown that the mixing width of the density field can grow as large as that in the single-fluid MHD case, even though the saturation level of the kinetic energy is lowered and the detailed density profile becomes sharper. These numerical results suggest that the extension of the MHD equations can bring about a growth of unstable modes in a lower level, although it does not necessarily mean a weaker impact of the instability to the equilibrium.

Keywords

extended MHD, Hall effect, gyro-viscosity, Rayleigh-Taylor instability

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.9.1403076

Full Text

PDF format (2.1Mbytes) PDF Download

References

  • [1] A. Komori et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 58, 1 (2010).
  • [2] H. Zohm, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 38, 105 (1996).
  • [3] P.B. Snyder et al., Phys. Plasmas 9, 2037 (2002).
  • [4] K. Ichiguchi, N. Nakajima, M. Wakatani, B.A. Carreras and V.E. Lynch, Nucl. Fusion 43, 1101 (2003).
  • [5] H. Miura and N. Nakajima, Fusion Sci. Technol. 51, 8 (2007).
  • [6] K. Ichiguchi and B. Carreras, Nucl. Fusion 51, 053021 (2011).
  • [7] H. Miura and N. Nakajima, Nucl. Fusion 50, 054006 (2010).
  • [8] S. Sakakibara et al., Plasma Fusion Res. 1, 003 (2006).
  • [9] S.I. Braginskii, in Reviews of plasma physics, edited by M.A. Leontovich (Consultants Bureau, New York, 1965) 1, p. 205.
  • [10] D.D. Schnack et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 058103 (2006).
  • [11] W. Park et al., Phys. Plasmas 6, 1796 (1999).
  • [12] C.R. Sovinec et al., J. Comput. Phys. 195, 355 (2004).
  • [13] H. Miura and N. Nakajima, the 23rd IAEA fusion energy conference (Daejon, Korea, Oct.11-16, 2010) TH-P9/16.
  • [14] K.V. Roberts and J.B. Taylor, Phys. Rev. Lett. 8, 197 (1962).
  • [15] J.D. Huba, Phys. Plasmas 3, 2523 (1996).
  • [16] D. Winske, Phys. Plasmas 3, 11 (1996).
  • [17] J.D. Huba and D. Winske, Phys. Plasmas 5, 2305 (1998).
  • [18] P. Zhu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 085005 (2008).
  • [19] N. Vladmirova and M. Chertkov, Phys. Fluids 21, 015102 (2009).

This paper may be cited as follows:

Ryosuke GOTO, Hideaki MIURA, Atsushi ITO, Masahiko SATO and Tomoharu HATORI, Plasma Fusion Res. 9, 1403076 (2014).