Structuring of a plasma shell expanding into a magnetized plasma atsub-Alfvenic speed

The structuring of plasma shells expanding into a magnetized plasma at velocities less than the Alfven speed is considered. The structuring phenomenon is studied with hybrid simulations. The hybrid simulations are conducted for two characteristic parameter sets: one set representative of magnetized ion experiments and one set representative of unmagnetized ion experiment. A complementary theoretical study of structuring instabilities using nonlocal, two fluid theory is discussed. Under the conditions representative of the laser-target experiments, the simulation observed structuring with azimuthal wavelengths similar to those observed in the experiment. Fluid theory, on the other hand, predicts that the most rapidly growing azimuthal modes are much shorter than observations, a result consistent with previous theoretical analyses