Quantitative, Comprehensive, Analytical Model for Magnetic Reconnection in Hall Magnetohydrodynamics

Journal Article · Fri Sep 05 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.101.105003· OSTI ID:21134197

Simakov, Andrei N; Chacon, L ^[1]

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1. Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

Dissipation-independent, or 'fast', magnetic reconnection has been observed computationally in Hall magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and predicted analytically in electron MHD. However, a quantitative analytical theory of reconnection valid for arbitrary ion inertial lengths, d{sub i}, has been lacking and is proposed here for the first time. The theory describes a two-dimensional reconnection diffusion region, provides expressions for reconnection rates, and derives a formal criterion for fast reconnection in terms of dissipation parameters and d{sub i}. It also confirms the electron MHD prediction that both open and elongated diffusion regions allow fast reconnection, and reveals strong dependence of the reconnection rates on d{sub i}.

• OSTI ID: 21134197
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.105003; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRONS
IONS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS