title: Observation of Rayleigh-Taylor-instability evolution in a plasma with magnetic and viscous effects.
abstract: We present time-resolved observations of Rayleigh-Taylor-instability (RTI) evolution at the interface between an unmagnetized plasma jet colliding with a stagnated, magnetized plasma. The observed instability growth time (∼10 μs) is consistent with the estimated linear RTI growth rate calculated using experimentally inferred values of density (∼10(14) cm(-3)) and deceleration (∼10(9) m/s(2)). The observed mode wavelength (≳1 cm) nearly doubles within a linear growth time. Theoretical estimates of magnetic and viscous stabilization and idealized magnetohydrodynamic simulations including a physical viscosity model both suggest that the observed instability evolution is subject to magnetic and/or viscous effects.
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.|University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Colin S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Auna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.affiliation: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsu