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The Evolution of a Double Diffusive Magnetic Buoyancy Instability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 August 2011

Lara J. Silvers
Affiliation:
Centre for Mathematical Science, City University London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, U. K. email: lara.silvers.1@city.ac.uk
Geoffrey M. Vasil
Affiliation:
Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H8, Canada email: vasil@cita.utoronto.ca
Nicholas H. Brummell
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, U.S.A. email: brummell@soe.ucsc.edu
Michael R. E. Proctor
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge, CB3 0WA, U. K. email: mrep@damtp.cam.ac.uk
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Abstract

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Recently, Silvers et al. (2009b), using numerical simulations, confirmed the existence of a double diffusive magnetic buoyancy instability of a layer of horizontal magnetic field produced by the interaction of a shear velocity field with a weak vertical field. Here, we demonstrate the longer term nonlinear evolution of such an instability in the simulations. We find that a quasi two-dimensional interchange instability rides (or “surfs”) on the growing shear-induced background downstream field gradients. The region of activity expands since three-dimensional perturbations remain unstable in the wake of this upward-moving activity front, and so the three-dimensional nature becomes more noticeable with time.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

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