RELATIVISTIC TWO-FLUID SIMULATIONS OF GUIDE FIELD MAGNETIC RECONNECTION

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/705/1/907· OSTI ID:21378303

Zenitani, Seiji; Hesse, Michael; Klimas, Alex ^[1]

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1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

The nonlinear evolution of relativistic magnetic reconnection in sheared magnetic configuration (with a guide field) is investigated by using two-dimensional relativistic two-fluid simulations. Relativistic guide field reconnection features the charge separation and the guide field compression in and around the outflow channel. As the guide field increases, the composition of the outgoing energy changes from enthalpy-dominated to Poynting-dominated. The inertial effects of the two-fluid model play an important role to sustain magnetic reconnection. Implications for the single-fluid magnetohydrodynamic approach and the physics models of relativistic reconnection are briefly addressed.

• OSTI ID: 21378303
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 705, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/705/1/907; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ENTHALPY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SIMULATION
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
ENERGY RANGE
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES