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

Abstract

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.