Role of Rayleigh‐Taylor instabilities on prompt striation evolution

Abstract

A Rayleigh‐Taylor instability driven by ion inertia is suggested to be a source of additional growth for prompt striations following the saturation of the seed, kinetic, loss cone instability. The destabilization of Rayleigh‐Taylor modes on the prompt striation scale size implies the simultaneous excitation of large scale size Rayleigh‐Taylor modes. The long‐term effect of prompt striations on large scale fluid turbulence and on the outer scale of the power spectral density may be minimal.