Stationary magnetic field line reconnection in a tearing-unstable plasma slab
A nonlinear theory of a collisionless tearing mode is developed for the case of a plasma slab immersed in a sheared magnetic field and applied to the problem of magnetic field line reconnection. The main nonlinear effect comes from the diffusion of the magnetic field lines due to overlapping of magnetic islands created by the growth of the tearing mode. This effect is described by the effective collision integral in the kinetic equation for the particle distribution function which conserves both momentum and energy in the system. Nonlinear effects reduce the growth rate, but the instability saturation achieved is only due to quasi-linear relaxation. The reconnection rate of the magnetic field lines is calculated on the basis of the nonlinear theory of the tearing mode.
- Research Organization:
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
- OSTI ID:
- 6774774
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 21:8; ISSN PFLDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
DISPERSION RELATIONS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
EQUATIONS
INSTABILITY
INSTABILITY GROWTH RATES
KINETIC EQUATIONS
KINK INSTABILITY
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
SLABS
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
WAVE PACKETS