Onset of Plasmoid Reconnection during Magnetorotational Instability

Rosenberg, Jarrett; Ebrahimi, Fatima

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac2b2e

Onset of Plasmoid Reconnection during Magnetorotational Instability

Journal Article · Thu Oct 14 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · The Astrophysical Journal. Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac2b2e· OSTI ID:1828769

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Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States); Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

The evolution of current sheets in accretion flows undergoing magnetorotational instability (MRI) is examined through two- and three-dimensional numerical modeling of the resistive MHD equations in global cylindrical geometry. With an initial uniform magnetic field aligned in the vertical (z) direction, MRI produces radially extended toroidal (azimuthal) current sheets. In both 2D and 3D when axisymmetric modes dominate, these current sheets attract each other and merge in the poloidal (rz) plane, driving magnetic reconnection when the Lundquist number S > 3 × 10², making it a possible source of plasmoids (closed magnetic loops) in accretion disks. At high Lundquist numbers in the 2D regime, starting at S = 5 × 10³, self-consistent MRI-generated current sheets become thin and subject to plasmoid instability, and therefore spontaneous magnetic reconnection. When nonaxisymmetric 3D modes dominate, turbulence makes the azimuthal current sheets more unstable and stretch vertically. Toroidally extended vertical current sheets in the inner region, as well as larger 3D magnetic islands in the outer regions of the disks are also formed. These findings have strong ramifications for astrophysical disks as potential sources of plasmoids that could cause local heating, particle acceleration, and high energy EM radiation.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

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

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-09CH11466

OSTI ID:: 1828769

Journal Information:: The Astrophysical Journal. Letters, Journal Name: The Astrophysical Journal. Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 920; ISSN 2041-8205

Publisher:: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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