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Fast magnetic reconnection in laser-produced plasma bubbles.
W Fox1, A Bhattacharjee, K Germaschewski
1Center for Integrated Computation and Analysis of Reconnection and Turbulence, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|June 25, 2011
Summary
High-energy plasma experiments show magnetic reconnection rates far exceeding classical predictions. Fully kinetic simulations reveal that two-fluid, collisionless mechanisms drive this fast reconnection in strongly driven systems.
Area of Science:
- Plasma physics
- Astrophysics
- Computational physics
Background:
- Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in plasma physics, crucial for energy release in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas.
- Recent experiments observed exceptionally high magnetic reconnection rates in laser-produced plasma bubbles, defying classical theoretical explanations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the anomalously fast magnetic reconnection rates observed in high-energy-density, laser-produced plasmas.
- To reconcile experimental observations with theoretical models by exploring kinetic and fluid effects.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations to model the complex plasma dynamics.
- Analyzing the role of magnetic flux pileup and two-fluid effects in the reconnection process.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that magnetic flux pileup at the current sheet shoulder is key to initiating fast reconnection.
- Identified two-fluid, collisionless mechanisms as the drivers of reconnection in these strongly driven regimes.
- Found that reconnection time in the strong drive regime is independent of the system's Alfvén time due to two-fluid effects.
Conclusions:
- Classical theories are insufficient to explain fast magnetic reconnection in strongly driven, high-energy-density plasmas.
- Two-fluid, collisionless effects, driven by magnetic flux pileup, provide a robust explanation for observed high reconnection rates.
- The findings have implications for understanding energy dissipation in various plasma environments, from laboratory experiments to astrophysical phenomena.
