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The gravitational interchange instability for perpendicular density gradients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

R. B. Paris
Affiliation:
Department of Mathemetical and Computer Sciences, Dundee Insitute of Technology, Dundee DD1 1HG, U.K.

Abstract

The analouge of the Reyleigh–Taylor instability (the gravitational interchange mode) for an infinitely conducting, approximately one-dimensional plane plasma slab is examined when the gravitational acceleration g is taken to be perpendicular to the equalibrium density gradient δp0. In contrast with the ‘classical’ situation (where g is aligned with δp0), it is found for a current layer with Magnetic shear that there is no instability threshold equivalent to the ‘classical’ situation (where g is aligned with δp0), it is found for a current layer with magnetic shear that there is no instability threshold equivalent to the Suydam criterion: the mode is unstable for all values of |δp0|. In the weak shear limit the growth rate of the instability is shown to exhibit the familiar (g|δp0|/p0)img; scaling characteristic of the gravitational interchange mode.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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