On the role of a nonscalar electron pressure in the collisionless magnetic reconnection
- Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)
Collisionless tearing instability in a sheared force-free magnetic field is considered in the framework of electron magnetohydrodynamics. A rigorous analytical analysis demonstrates that the bulk inertia of electrons is the dominant reconnection mechanism in a sufficiently low-{beta} plasma, when the reconnection current sheet width exceeds the electron gyroradius. Otherwise a fluidlike approach fails, and fully kinetic treatment of the problem is required. A recently raised issue of the role of the electron gyroviscous cancellation in collisionless reconnection is also addressed.
- OSTI ID:
- 21274301
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 16; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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