Nonlinear Evolution of the Unmagnetized Ion Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

Phys. Fluids B 2, 2001 (1990)https://ireap.umd.edu/10.1063/1.8594211990Journal ArticlePlasma, Accelerator, and Nuclear Physics

The nonlinear evolution of the unmagnetized ion Rayleigh–Taylor instability is investigated. A nonlinear state corresponding to localized clumps of high‐density plasma is obtained analytically. The characteristic scale size of the clumps is given by Δ∼D(gL_n)^−1/2, where g is the gravitational acceleration, L_n is the density gradient scale length, and D is a diffusion coefficient associated with the short‐scale dissipation processes in the system. It is shown numerically that this nonlinear state may be both accessible and stable.