= Parker instability
{c}
<Parker instability> is an undular <magnetic buoyancy instability> of a gravitationally stratified atmosphere supported partly by <magnetic pressure>. A bent horizontal <magnetic field> can permit gas to drain along its <magnetic field lines>, leaving buoyant rising regions. <Magnetic tension> resists bending, so wavelengths and <boundary conditions> affect the instability threshold. For a <magnetized isothermal atmosphere>, the unrestricted-wavevector threshold is given by the <magnetic buoyancy energy criterion>.
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