Three-dimensional evolution of magnetic and velocity shear driven instabilities in a compressible magnetized jet

TL;DR

This paper investigates the three-dimensional evolution of magnetic and velocity shear instabilities in a compressible magnetized jet, revealing how different magnetic configurations influence the development of turbulence or reconnection processes.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of how magnetic and velocity shear instabilities evolve in three dimensions within a resistive magnetohydrodynamics framework, considering variable magnetic field geometries.

Findings

System can develop either 3D kink modes or 2D reconnection patterns.

Magnetic configuration determines the dominant instability mode.

Results highlight the role of geometry in instability evolution.

Abstract

The problem of three-dimensional combined magnetic and velocity shear driven instabilities of a compressible magnetized jet modeled with a plane neutral/current double vortex sheet in the framework of the resistive magnetohydrodynamics is addressed. The resulting dynamics given by the stream+current sheet interaction is analyzed and the effects of a variable geometry of the basic fields are considered. Depending on the basic asymptotic magnetic field configuration, a selection rule of the linear instability modes can be obtained. Hence, the system follows a two-stage path developing either through a fully three-dimensional dynamics with a rapid evolution of kink modes leading to a final turbulent state, or rather through a driving two-dimensional instability pattern that develops on parallel planes on which a reconnection+coalescence process takes place.