Computer studies on the fast reconnection mechanism under an externally driven boundary condition

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physics of Plasmas; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.870524· OSTI ID:6691033

Ugai, M ^[1]

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1. Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790 (Japan)

Computer simulations study the temporal dynamics of magnetic reconnection in a current sheet system under a continuous local plasma injection imposed on the inflow boundary. The basic reconnection process is strongly influenced by the resistivity model. For a uniform resistivity model, the field lines become flattened with time so that the resulting quasisteady configuration involves a long diffusion region and the reconnection rate strongly depends on the resistivity, in good agreement with the Sweet--Parker mechanism. For an anomalous resistivity model, magnetic reconnection drastically occurs, leading to development of a large-scale plasmoid. Once an effective resistivity is triggered, a quasisteady fast reconnection mechanism spontaneously develops even in the absence of the specified boundary condition, in good agreement with the spontaneous fast reconnection model. When the imposed plasma injection is larger than the one inherent to the spontaneous fast reconnection mechanism, the fast reconnection mechanism can no longer proceed steadily and multiple X points and plasmoids result. It is concluded that it is not the boundary condition that drives the fast reconnection mechanism; the boundary condition may simply initiate the onset of magnetic reconnection (or effective resistivity) but has no essential effect on the fast reconnection development.

• OSTI ID: 6691033
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas; (United States), Vol. 1:9; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
DIFFUSION
MAGNETIC REYNOLDS NUMBER
MAGNETIC STORMS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA SIMULATION
PLASMOIDS
SHOCK WAVES
SOLAR FLARES
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
REYNOLDS NUMBER
SIMULATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
700370* - Plasma Fluid & MHD Properties- (1992-)
700330 - Plasma Kinetics
Transport
& Impurities- (1992-)
700340 - Plasma Waves
Oscillations
& Instabilities- (1992-)