Exact Energy Principle in Magnetic Reconnection for Current-Sheet Models

Journal Article · Fri May 06 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.175004· OSTI ID:20696242

Yoon, Peter H; Lui, Anthony T.Y. ^[1]

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1. Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-2431 (United States)

On the basis of an exact nonlinear energy principle, it is shown that the change in magnetic topology (i.e., reconnection) in a finite-domain system leads to the conversion of magnetic field energy to particle energy. However, it is also shown that the conversion efficiency gradually disappears as the system size increases. This principle is demonstrated with model current-sheet equilibria including Harris and Fadeev solutions, as well as a current-sheet equilibrium which contains a singular current layer. The finding that energy conversion in reconnection is highly dependent on the system size may have an important implication for numerical simulations performed under finite geometry.

• OSTI ID: 20696242
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 94, Issue 17; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.175004; (c) 2005 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
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUILIBRIUM
GEOMETRY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
TOPOLOGY