Plasmoid formation in current sheet with finite normal magnetic component.

Area of Science:

• Plasma Physics
• Astrophysics
• Magnetohydrodynamics

Background:

• Plasma configurations often have a normal magnetic component, stabilizing 2D resistive tearing instability at high Lundquist numbers.
• The linear 2D resistive tearing mode is stable in generalized Harris sheets with a finite normal magnetic component in the high Lundquist number regime.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the nonlinear development of ballooning instability in generalized Harris sheets.
• To determine if ballooning instability can induce X-line and plasmoid formation in stable tearing mode regimes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized advanced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations.
• Focused on generalized Harris sheet configurations with a finite normal magnetic component.
• Analyzed the high Lundquist number regime.

Main Results:

• Nonlinear development of ballooning instability was observed to induce X-line formation.
• Plasmoid formation was also induced by the nonlinear ballooning instability.
• These phenomena occurred in the high Lundquist number regime where linear tearing modes are stable.

Conclusions:

• Ballooning instability can be a source of magnetic reconnection events (X-lines and plasmoids).
• This occurs even in plasma regimes where the standard tearing instability is linearly stable.
• Findings have implications for understanding plasma dynamics in various astrophysical and laboratory environments.