Magnetic Rayleigh–Taylor Instability in an Experiment Simulating a Solar Loop

Yang, Zhiru; Wongwaitayakornkul, Pakorn; Bellan, Paul M.

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ab6b2d

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…For this same shot, Moser & Bellan (2012) reported a consistent peak current of I=110 kA. Furthermore, a recent study of magnetic RTI by Zhang et al (2020) on the arched plasma loop experiment with similar parameters (a, λ RT =1 cm and κT=2 eV) also supports that the expected minor radius is close to the observation from the images, a∼1 cm. Both in that study and here, the observed RTI is magnetized and driven by the effective gravity associated with a strong lateral acceleration.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

3D Numerical Simulation of Kink-driven Rayleigh–Taylor Instability Leading to Fast Magnetic Reconnection

Wongwaitayakornkul

Bellan

2020

ApJL

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Fast magnetic reconnection involving non-MHD microscale physics is believed to underlie both solar eruptions and laboratory plasma current disruptions. While there is extensive research on both the MHD macroscale physics and the non-MHD microscale physics, the process by which large-scale MHD couples to the microscale physics is not well understood. An MHD instability cascade from a kink to a secondary Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the Caltech astrophysical jet laboratory experiment provides new insights into this coupling and motivates a 3D numerical simulation of this transition from large to small scale. A critical finding from the simulation is that the axial magnetic field inside the current-carrying dense plasma must exceed the field outside. In addition, the simulation verifies a theoretical prediction and experimental observation that, depending on the strength of the effective gravity produced by the primary kink instability, the secondary instability can be Rayleigh-Taylor or mini-kink. Finally, it is shown that the kink-driven Rayleigh-Taylor instability generates a localized electric field sufficiently strong to accelerate electrons to very high energy.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

3D Numerical Simulation of Kink-driven Rayleigh–Taylor Instability Leading to Fast Magnetic Reconnection

Wongwaitayakornkul

Bellan

2020

ApJL

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“…By operating the bipolar experiment with a relatively small bias magnetic field (axial magnetic field), Zhang et al. (2020) observed RTIs associated with the acceleration provided by the hoop force caused by the current flowing along the arched flux rope. A series of plasma shots was made with different values of bias magnetic field and it was observed that the wavelength λ of the Rayleigh‐Taylor ripples increased with the bias magnetic field strength in a manner consistent with Equation .…”

Section: Discussion Of the Experiments And Their Main Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(b) Scaling of Rayleigh‐Taylor wavelength with charge voltage on bias field capacitor (bias field is proportional to this voltage). (c) plot of y = λ ρ g versus square of bias field voltage; compare with Equation (figure credit: Zhang et al., 2020).…”

Section: Discussion Of the Experiments And Their Main Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Caltech Lab Experiments and the Insights They Provide Into Solar Corona Phenomena

Bellan

2020

JGR Space Physics

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A comprehensive overview of two decades of Caltech experiments relevant to solar corona physics is presented. The extent to which the experiments scale to the solar corona, the basic configurations and operation, and the importance of the magnetic force J × B common to all the experiments is discussed. Summaries are given of the various configurations used, the main observations, and interpretations of these observations, including new models developed to provide these interpretations. Topics include observations and explanations for flux rope self‐collimation, axial flows along flux ropes, eruption of arched flux ropes, strapping magnetic fields that inhibit eruption, the torus instability, and effects such as X‐ray emission of a kink‐driven secondary Rayleigh‐Taylor instability.

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“…In this scenario, the RTI can generate a localised electric field, inside which electrons may be accelerated to very high energies. Furthermore, recent experiments have attempted to model the RTI in a laboratory simulated coronal loop experiment (Zhang et al, 2020). The authors found that increasing the strength of the axial magnetic field leads to an increase in the instability's wavelength.…”

Section: Rayleigh-taylor Instabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%