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.