Critical Magnetic Field Strength for Suppression of the Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability in Plasmas

Abstract: The critical strength of a magnetic field required for the suppression of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) is investigated numerically by using a two-dimensional single-mode analysis. For the cases of MHD parallel shocks, the RMI can be stabilized as a result of the extraction of vorticity from the interface. A useful formula describing a critical condition for MHD RMI has been introduced, and which is successfully confirmed by the direct numerical simulations. The critical field strength is found to be largely depending on the Mach number of the incident shock. If the shock is strong enough, even low-$\beta$ plasmas can be subject to the growth of the RMI.