Experimental verification of the role of electron pressure in fast magnetic reconnection with a guide field

Fox, W.; Sciortino, F.; v. Stechow, A.; Jara-Almonte, J.; Yoo, J.; Ji, H.; Yamada, M.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.125002

Experimental verification of the role of electron pressure in fast magnetic reconnection with a guide field

Journal Article · Tue Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.125002· OSTI ID:1371564

Fox, W. ^[1]; Sciortino, F. ^[2]; v. Stechow, A. ^[3]; Jara-Almonte, J. ^[1]; Yoo, J. ^[1]; Ji, H. ^[1]; Yamada, M. ^[1]

Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Imperial College, London (United Kingdom); Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik, Greifswald (Germany)

We report detailed laboratory observations of the structure of a reconnection current sheet in a two-fluid plasma regime with a guide magnetic field. We observe and quantitatively analyze the quadrupolar electron pressure variation in the ion-diffusion region, as originally predicted by extended magnetohydrodynamics simulations. The projection of the electron pressure gradient parallel to the magnetic field contributes significantly to balancing the parallel electric field, and the resulting cross-field electron jets in the reconnection layer are diamagnetic in origin. Furthermore, these results demonstrate how parallel and perpendicular force balance are coupled in guide field reconnection and confirm basic theoretical models of the importance of electron pressure gradients for obtaining fast magnetic reconnection.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 1371564

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1347821

Report Number(s):: PPPL--5370

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 118; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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