Rayleigh instability of compressible plasma in a vertical magnetic field

A study of the Rayleigh instability of a compressible plasma of density stratified in horizontal planes and subjected to a vertical magnetic field is made. The special case of a plane interface separating two superposed uniform plasmas of different densities and speeds of sound is treated as an example to illustrate the compressibility effects on the hydromagnetic Rayleigh instability. It is found that the hydromagneticcompressibility effects act toward reducing the growth rate in a hydrodynamically unstable situation.