Generation and amplification of magnetic field due to Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a two-fluid plasma

We present two-dimensional simulations of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in a two-fluid plasma using the Princeton code, Gkeyll. In these simulations, the corresponding fluid moment equations are evolved for the electron and ion species. Initially, each species is in a separate hydrodynamic equilibrium, and the initial electromagnetic field constitutes the vacuum solution. Perturbations are then applied to the electron and ion fluids, which give rise to a magnetic field due to the Biermann battery effect. The field is further amplified in the nonlinear stage via a dynamo-like effect, followed by a slow decay as the forcing weakens. We investigate the magnetic field's growth and decay and their dependence on the mass of the lighter species (i.e., electrons). Implications for the dynamo in three-dimensional configurations will also be discussed.