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Catastrophe model for fast magnetic reconnection onset.

P A Cassak1, M A Shay, J F Drake

  • 1University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|December 31, 2005
PubMed
Summary

A new catastrophe model explains how plasma systems with magnetic energy can remain stable before suddenly releasing it. It identifies two reconnection solutions, with fast reconnection dominating below a critical plasma resistivity.

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Area of Science:

  • Plasma Physics
  • Astrophysics
  • Magnetohydrodynamics

Background:

  • Plasma systems store significant magnetic free energy.
  • Sudden energy release in these systems is often observed but poorly understood.
  • Existing models struggle to explain the long periods of apparent stability followed by rapid energy release.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a catastrophe model for the onset of fast magnetic reconnection.
  • To explain the long-term stability and sudden energy release in magnetized plasma systems.
  • To elucidate the transition between slow and fast reconnection regimes.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a catastrophe model for magnetic reconnection onset.
  • Investigated the existence of two stable reconnection solutions: slow (Sweet-Parker) and fast (Hall reconnection).

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  • Utilized two-fluid simulations to confirm scaling arguments and critical resistivity predictions.

    • Main Results:

    • Identified two stable reconnection solutions dependent on plasma parameters.
    • Demonstrated that below a critical resistivity, the slow reconnection solution becomes unstable.
    • Showed that fast (Alfvénic) Hall reconnection dominates when resistivity is below the critical threshold.

    Conclusions:

    • The catastrophe model successfully explains the sudden onset of fast magnetic reconnection.
    • Plasma stability is governed by the interplay between magnetic energy and plasma resistivity.
    • The transition to fast reconnection is a critical phenomenon in magnetized plasmas.