Intermediate nonlinear evolution of the Parker instability: formation of convection-induced discontinuities and absence of finite-time singularities.
Direct numerical simulations of the line-tied Parker (or magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor) instability, based on the fully compressible ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations, are presented. In the intermediate nonlinear phase, the instability continues to grow exponentially in time and the plasma tends to develop convection-induced discontinuities in the form of shocklike coherent structures. No evidence of finite-time singularities is seen.
Zhu
P
P
Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA.
Bhattacharjee
A
A
Germaschewski
K
K