The effect of compressibility on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability for a theta pinch plasma column, 1969

Item — Call Number: MU Thesis Reg

Identifier: b2088222

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth College graduate Physics program. The holdings are bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Science degree.

Dates

Creation: 1969

Creator

Register, David F. (Author, Person)
Barnes, Derek A. (Thesis advisor, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Access is by appointment only.

Access to the collection is confined to the Monmouth University Library and is subject to patron policies approved by the Monmouth University Library.

Collection holdings may not be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Research appointments are scheduled by the Monmouth University Library Archives Collections Manager (723-923-4526). A minimum of three days advance notice is required to arrange a research appointment for access to the collection.

Patrons must complete a Researcher Registration Form and provide appropriate identification to gain access to the collection holdings. Copies of these documents will be kept on file at the Monmouth University Library.

Extent

1 Items (print book) : 53 pages ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Since the original work by [Sir Geoffrey Ingram] Taylor several authors have reported theoretical and experimental calculations on Rayleigh-Taylor and other gravitational instabilities for various fluid and field geometries of magnetohydrodynamical interest. In the particular case of the theta pinch geometry, a Rayleigh-Taylor instability is found to occur in the first (adiabatic) expansion stage of the columns, with experimental growth rates of the proper order of magnitude for this type of phenomenon. Thus, the mechanics of instability has been, to some extent, qualitatively verified; however, corrections are necessary to obtain a more complete treatment of the physical processes involved. In particular, the role of compressibility in a finitely conducting theta pinch bears some concern for the investigation.

In this paper a calculation will be presented dealing with the compressible effects on the growth rate of radial (flute) type instabilities in a particular field configuration for the theta pinch geometry. For the incompressible case, the presence of finite conductivity is found to have no effect on the usual Rayleigh-Taylor instability. However, the compressible calculation leads to conductivity and gravitational corrections which tend to decrease the stability for all modes of disturbance.

Partial Contents

1. Introduction -- 2. Initial configuration -- 3. Linerization of the basic equations -- 4. Boundary conditions -- 5. Incompressible calculations -- 6. A solution to the compressible equations under special conditions -- 7. The compressible equations and a variational principle -- 8. Approximate solutions and the integral equation -- 9. Dispersion relation -- Summary -- Acknowledgements -- Bibliography.