Hydrodynamic Instabilities and the Formation of Radio Shells in Young Supernovae Remnants

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Abstract
Recent calculations by Gull have suggested the possibility that the radio emission in young supernovae remnants (SNRs) may be generated by the Rayleigh–Taylor instability at the interface between material ejected by the supernova (the piston), and the shocked interstellar medium (ISM). In this paper the physics of the instability is considered in more detail, and in particular the presence of a reverse shock in the piston and the effects of viscosity are fully included. The dynamics of fragments broken from the piston is analysed, and the turbulent amplification of the ISM magnetic field by the fragments is estimated. Finally the predictions of the theory are compared with observation for the cases of Cas A and Tycho. The agreement is reasonable and we conclude that the radio emission in young SNRs may be produced by such a mechanism.

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