Temperature Gradients in Fast Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection

Journal Article · Fri Jun 29 04:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.265002· OSTI ID:20953373

Plas, Emiel V. van der; Blank, Hugo J. de ^[1]

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1. FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, Association Euratom-FOM, Trilateral Euregio Cluster, P.O. Box 1207, 3430 BE Nieuwegein (Netherlands)

Temperature gradients are shown to deform and shift the magnetic islands that grow during fast collisionless reconnection when electron inertia decouples the plasma motion from the magnetic field. A kinetic electron model describes the collisionless processes during the reconnection of field lines originating in regions with different temperatures. Using a novel model of the reconnecting instability as a surface mode, the kinetic effects are treated analytically in the linear and nonlinear stages of the instability of a current-carrying low-{beta} plasma slab in a strong magnetic guide field.

• OSTI ID: 20953373
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 26 Vol. 98; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC ISLANDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MOMENT OF INERTIA
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS