Steady and unsteady Hall magnetohydrodynamics near an X-type magnetic neutral line
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816-1364 (United States)
Hall magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) properties near a two-dimensional (2D) X-type magnetic neutral line in the steady state are considered via heuristic and rigorous developments. The heuristic development turns out to be useful in providing insight into the lack of dependence of the reconnection rate on the mechanism breaking the frozen-in condition of the magnetic field lines in the electron fluid. The latter result can be understood in terms of the ability of the ions and electrons to transport equal amounts of magnetic flux per unit time out of the reconnection region. The Hall effects are shown via a rigorous development to be able to sustain the hyperbolicity of the magnetic field (and hence a more open X-point configuration) near the neutral line in the steady state. The time-dependent Hall MHD problem shows that the Hall effect, when sufficiently strong, can indeed quench the finite-time singularity exhibited in ideal MHD.
- OSTI ID:
- 21537800
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3581092; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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