Geometrical investigation of the kinetic evolution of the magnetic field in a periodic flux rope

Journal Article · Thu Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 2013 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4817167· OSTI ID:22227903

Restante, A. L.; Lapenta, G. ^[1]; Markidis, S. ^[2]; Intrator, T. ^[3]

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1. Afdeling Plasma-astrofysica, Departement Wiskunde, KULeuven, University of Leuven, Leuven (Belgium)
2. High Performance Computing and Visualization (HPCViz) Department, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)
3. Los Alamos National Laboratory, M.S. E526, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

Flux ropes are bundles of magnetic field wrapped around an axis. Many laboratory, space, and astrophysics processes can be represented using this idealized concept. Here, a massively parallel 3D kinetic simulation of a periodic flux rope undergoing the kink instability is studied. The focus is on the topology of the magnetic field and its geometric structures. The analysis considers various techniques such as Poincaré maps and the quasi-separatrix layer (QSL). These are used to highlight regions with expansion or compression and changes in the connectivity of magnetic field lines and consequently to outline regions where heating and current may be generated due to magnetic reconnection. The present study is, to our knowledge, the first QSL analysis of a fully kinetic 3D particle in cell simulation and focuses the existing QSL method of analysis to periodic systems.

• OSTI ID: 22227903
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 20; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ASTROPHYSICS
COMPRESSION
KINK INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PERIODICITY
PLASMA
PLASMA EXPANSION
PLASMA SIMULATION
TOPOLOGY