Laboratory Observation of Localized Onset of Magnetic Reconnection

Journal Article · Fri Jun 25 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.104.255004· OSTI ID:21410445

Katz, Noam; Egedal, Jan; Fox, Will; Le, Ari; Bonde, Jeff; Vrublevskis, Arturs ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics/Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in plasmas that results in the often explosive release of stored magnetic energy, but the trigger for its onset is not well understood. We explore this trigger for fast reconnection in toroidal experiments using a magnetic x-type geometry in the strong guide-field regime. We find that the onset occurs asymmetrically: the reconnection begins on one side of the torus and propagates around approximately at the Alfven speed. The fast reconnection occurs only in the presence of a global plasma mode, which breaks the axisymmetry and enables the current at the x line to decrease sharply. A simple semiempirical model is used to describe the onset's growth rate.

• OSTI ID: 21410445
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 25 Vol. 104; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALFVEN WAVES
BEAM CURRENTS
CURRENTS
ENERGY STORAGE
GEOMETRY
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
MAGNETIC ENERGY STORAGE
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MATHEMATICS
PLASMA
STORAGE
VELOCITY