The Rayleigh-Taylor instability and internal waves in quantum plasmas

TL;DR

This paper investigates how quantum effects influence internal waves and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in plasmas, revealing quantum stabilization of instabilities and the emergence of pure quantum internal waves without external gravity.

Contribution

It provides analytical solutions for quantum effects on plasma instabilities and internal waves, including a new form of pure quantum internal waves.

Findings

Quantum pressure stabilizes the Rayleigh-Taylor instability.

Quantum effects enable internal wave propagation transverse to gravity.

A new form of pure quantum internal waves is derived.

Abstract

Influence of quantum effects on the internal waves and the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in plasma is investigated. It is shown that quantum pressure always stabilizes the RT instability. The problem is solved both in the limit of short-wavelength perturbations and exactly for density profiles with layers of exponential stratification. In the case of stable stratification, quantum pressure modifies the dispersion relation of the inertial waves. Because of the quantum effects, the internal waves may propagate in the transverse direction, which was impossible in the classical case. A specific form of pure quantum internal waves is obtained, which do not require any external gravitational field.