Intermediate nonlinear evolution of the parker instability: Formation of convection-induced discontinuities and absence of finite-time singularities

Direct numerical simulations of the line-tied Parker (or magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor) instability, based on the fully compressible ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations, are presented. In the intermediate nonlinear phase, the instability continues to grow exponentially in time and the plasma tends to develop convection-induced discontinuities in the form of shocklike coherent structures. No evidence of finite-time singularities is seen.