Collaborative Research: The Evolution of Magnetic Skeletons During 3D Reconnection. Final report
We investigated how the plasmoid instability affects the evolution of topological features of a magnetic field and the process of magnetic reconnection with three sub-projects. (i) We extensively studied the criterion for plasmoid-mediated current sheet disruption and the onset of fast reconnection. Scaling relations with respect to plasma parameters have been established, using both direct numerical simulations and analytic theories, for the disruption time, the current sheet width, the instability linear growth rate, and the dominant mode wavenumber. (ii) We applied the theories of plasmoid-mediated current sheet disruption to magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and predicted a steepening of the turbulence energy spectrum. This steepening has been confirmed by direct numerical simulations. (iii) We performed numerical simulations of ultraviolet burst events in the solar atmosphere with a spine-dome magnetic topology. The plasmoid instability leads to unsteady reconnection, which is consistent with solar observations.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0016470
- OSTI ID:
- 1606194
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-PRINCETON-16470; TRN: US2103926
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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