Suppression of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in the presence of a magnetic field

Abstract

We present numerical evidence from two dimensional simulations that the growth of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability is suppressed in the presence of a magnetic field. A bifurcation occurs during the refraction of the incident shock on the density interface which transports baroclinically generated vorticity away from the interface to a pair of slow or intermediate magnetosonic shocks. Consequently, the density interface is devoid of vorticity and its growth and associated mixing is completely suppressed. © 2003 American Institute of Physics.