MULTI-FLUID SIMULATIONS OF CHROMOSPHERIC MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN A WEAKLY IONIZED REACTING PLASMA

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/760/2/109· OSTI ID:22086261

Leake, James E ^[1]; Lukin, Vyacheslav S; Linton, Mark G ^[2]

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1. College of Science, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States)
2. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue Southwest, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

We present results from the first self-consistent multi-fluid simulations of chromospheric magnetic reconnection in a weakly ionized reacting plasma. We simulate two-dimensional magnetic reconnection in a Harris current sheet with a numerical model which includes ion-neutral scattering collisions, ionization, recombination, optically thin radiative loss, collisional heating, and thermal conduction. In the resulting tearing mode reconnection the neutral and ion fluids become decoupled upstream from the reconnection site, creating an excess of ions in the reconnection region and therefore an ionization imbalance. Ion recombination in the reconnection region, combined with Alfvenic outflows, quickly removes ions from the reconnection site, leading to a fast reconnection rate independent of Lundquist number. In addition to allowing fast reconnection, we find that these non-equilibria partial ionization effects lead to the onset of the nonlinear secondary tearing instability at lower values of the Lundquist number than has been found in fully ionized plasmas. These simulations provide evidence that magnetic reconnection in the chromosphere could be responsible for jet-like transient phenomena such as spicules and chromospheric jets.

• OSTI ID: 22086261
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 760, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ALFVEN WAVES
CHROMOSPHERE
COLLISIONAL HEATING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
IONIZATION
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA FLUID EQUATIONS
PLASMA JETS
PLASMA SIMULATION
RECOMBINATION
SOLAR PROMINENCES
SUN
TEARING INSTABILITY
THERMAL CONDUCTION
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS