Time-dependent interaction between space plasmas and transverse magnetic fields

A time-dependent one-dimensional analytic model is presented describing the dynamics of a plasma and a magnetic field in relative motion to each other. It is found that the interface between the plasma and field deteriorates in a way that is analogous to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability for a plasma in equilibrium. The growth rate of the perturbations is identical to the classical Rayleigh-Taylor (kg)/sup 1/2/ scaling, except that the gravity g is not a constant, but is proportional to the magnetic field strength and the square root of the plasma velocity. Applications to space physics and astrophysical phenomena are presented