Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities occur when a denser fluid is placed above a lighter fluid, leading to the formation of irregular patterns and turbulent flow as the heavier fluid tends to sink while the lighter fluid rises. This phenomenon is crucial in plasma physics, especially in scenarios involving laser-driven and ion-beam-driven fusion, where rapid changes in pressure can lead to instability at the interface of different materials or phases, affecting the efficiency and outcomes of fusion reactions.
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