The effect of external magnetic field on the linear stage evolution of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in laser driven plasma

摘要

A Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) is a fundamental physical process of fluids and magnetized plasma. We report the experimental formation of a KHI produced by intense laser-driven thin plastic foils. For an external magnetic field in different directions, the KHI shows different evolutionary features. A theoretical derivation shows that an external magnetic field has a stronger effect on KHI growth when its component is perpendicular to the plasma flow. A linear evolutionary stage of the KHI is captured by optimizing the target design, which is reproduced by FLASH simulation.