Title: Lower-hybrid drift waves and their interaction with plasmas in a 3D symmetric reconnection simulation with zero guide field

Abstract

We investigate lower-hybrid drift waves (LHDW) in symmetric magnetic reconnection with zero guide field using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The long-wavelength mode with k√ρ_iρ_e ~ 1 develops in the bifurcated electron current layer around the X-line within the width of the electron meandering motion from the mid-plane, where ρ_i(e) is the ion (electron) gyroradius. The short-wavelength mode with kρ_e ~ 1 develops in the separatrix region downstream of the electron outflow jet, producing electron vortices in the background flow frame. Electrons follow the E × B drift with corrections from the diamagnetic drift and are heated inside the vortices with diverging electric fields. In the vortices, ions have comparable E × B and inertia drifts, which together mostly cancel the diamagnetic drift. Toward the center of diverging field vortices, ions are decelerated, leading to a decrease in the perpendicular temperature, while the loss of low-energy ions results in an increase in the parallel temperature. Parallel electric fields exist as a combination of the LHDW wave field projected to the magnetic field direction and the penetration of whistler waves that are mainly outside of the LHDW layer. The magnetic flux tube is twisted in the vortices. The twist may potentially lead tomore » slippage reconnection, as indicated by the non-uniform parallel potential variation across field lines, while the periodic variations of the twisting directions are a limiting factor.« less

Authors:

Wang, Shan  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-6783-7759"

Chen, Li-Jen  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Chen, Li-Jen"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-4768-189X"

Ng, Jonathan  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Ng, Jonathan"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-5183-3577"

Bessho, Naoki  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Bessho, Naoki"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-5431-174X"

Hesse, Michael  ^[3]

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Hesse, Michael"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-0377-9673"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States)
2. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States)
3. NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA (United States)

Publication Date:

Wed Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2021

Research Org.:

Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1843376

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1806232

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC0016278; DESC0016278

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Physics of Plasmas

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 28; Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; plasma waves; particle-in-cell method; plasma dynamics; plasma heating; magnetic reconnection; Whistler waves; plasma instabilities; energy conversion