Studies of magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma

Conference · Thu Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1998

OSTI ID:338533

Carter, T; Yamada, M; Ji, H; Hsu, S; Kulsrud, R; Himura, H; Zaharia, S ^[1]

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1. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Plasma Physics Lab.

Magnetic reconnection is an ubiquitous process in space and the laboratory, causing topological change, acceleration and heating in ideal plasmas. The Magnetic Reconnection eXperiment (MRX) was constructed in 1995 to study magnetic reconnection in a high-Lundqvist number (S = {tau}{sub resistive}/{tau}{sub Alfven}) plasma. Through control of the plasma density, plasmas can be created in MRX in the collisional ({lambda}{sub e,mfp} {approx_lt} {delta}) and collisionless ({lambda}{sub e,mfp} {much_gt} {delta}) regimes. The measured plasma resistivity is observed to be anomalously high in the collisionless regime and is comparable to a two-fluid calculation in the collisional regime. A modified Sweet-Parker model, including the effects of anomalous resistivity, compressibility, and downstream pressure, has been experimentally tested in MRX. It is found that nearly 2-D null-helicity reconnection in MRX compares well with the predictions of a modified Sweet-Parker model. A new phase of experiments have begun, utilizing new diagnostics for ion temperature and flow and for fluctuations which might contribute to an anomalous resistivity. The presentation includes a discussion of previously mentioned results, as well as preliminary results from the most recent experimental campaign.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States); Office of Naval Research, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 338533
• Report Number(s): CONF-980601--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
LABORATORIES
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
SOLAR CORONA
SOLAR WIND