The effect of Magnetohydrodynamic Approximations on the Linear Growth Rate of the m=0 Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in a Z-pinch*

The m=0 instability of the pinching plasma column in the dense-plasma focus (DPF) device is thought to be important in generating a high-energy ion beam which can drive neutron-producing beam-target D-D fusion reactions. Since ion beams cannot be generated in ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of the DPF, various non-ideal fluid models are being examined for creating high-energy ion beams. The linear growth rate of the m=0 Rayleigh-Taylor instability in both ideal and resistive MHD will be compared. The roles of the Hall and electron inertia terms in Ohm's law are examined. Implications of these non-ideal effects as mechanisms of ion acceleration will be discussed.