Characterization of the stability and dynamics of a laser-produced plasma expanding across a strong magnetic field

摘要

Magnetized laser-produced plasmas are central to many studies in laboratory astrophysics,in inertial confinement fusion,and in industrial applications.Here,we present the results of large-scale three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the dynamics of a laser-produced plasma expanding into a transverse magnetic field with a strength of tens of teslas.The simulations show the plasma being confined by the strong magnetic field into a slender slab structured by the magnetized Rayleigh–Taylor instability that develops at the plasma–vacuum interface.We find that when the initial velocity of the plume is perturbed,the slab can develop kink-like motions that disrupt its propagation.