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Updated: Jun 6, 2025
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Magnetically Induced Rotating Rayleigh-Taylor Instability
Published on: March 3, 2017
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The Interplay Between Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection and Turbulence.
J E Stawarz1, P A Muñoz2,3, N Bessho4,5
1Department of Mathematics, Physics, and Electrical Engineering, Northumbria University, Ellison Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST UK.
Space Science Reviews
|November 28, 2024
Summary
Turbulence and magnetic reconnection are key plasma processes. Recent observations reveal complex interactions, driving new insights into energy transport in space plasmas.
Area of Science:
- Plasma physics
- Space physics
- Astrophysical plasmas
Background:
- Turbulence and magnetic reconnection are fundamental nonlinear plasma phenomena.
- These processes are crucial for energy transport and conversion in space and astrophysical plasmas.
- High-resolution, multi-spacecraft observations have advanced the understanding of their interplay.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current knowledge on the interplay between turbulence and magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas.
- To explore different facets of this interaction: turbulence-driven reconnection, reconnection-driven turbulence, and stochastic reconnection.
- To focus on key regions in Earth's magnetosphere using data from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis
- Numerical simulations
- Observational data analysis (Magnetospheric Multiscale mission)
Main Results:
- The interplay is multifaceted, involving turbulence generating current sheets for reconnection.
- Reconnection can drive turbulence, or act as an intermediate step in turbulence excitation.
- Stochastic reconnection is enabled by magnetic field lines in turbulent fluctuations.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a comprehensive review of turbulence-reconnection interplay from multiple perspectives.
- Key regions like Earth's magnetosheath, magnetotail, and Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices are highlighted.
- New insights into these complex plasma dynamics are being provided by advanced missions.
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