dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaThe Transition from Anti-Parallel to Component Magnetic Reconnection
| Authors | M. Swisdak, J. F. Drake, M. A. Shay, J. G. McIlhargey |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0503064 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0503064 |
| DOI | 10.1029/2004JA010748 |
Abstract
We study the transition between anti-parallel and component collisionless magnetic reconnection with 2D particle-in-cell simulations. The primary finding is that a guide field \approx 0.1 times as strong as the asymptotic reconnecting field -- roughly the field strength at which the electron Larmor radius is comparable to the width of the electron current layer -- is sufficient to magnetize the electrons in the vicinity of the x-line, thus causing significant changes to the structure of the electron dissipation region. This implies that great care should be exercised before concluding that magnetospheric reconnection is antiparallel. We also find that even for such weak guide fields strong inward-flowing electron beams form in the vicinity of the magnetic separatrices and Buneman-unstable distribution functions arise at the x-line itself. As in the calculations of {\it Hesse et al.} [2002] and {\it Yin and Winske} [2003], the non-gyrotropic elements of the electron pressure tensor play the dominant role in decoupling the electrons from the magnetic field at the x-line, regardless of the magnitude of the guide field and the associated strong variations in the pressure tensor's spatial structure. Despite these changes, and consistent with previous work, the reconnection rate does not vary appreciably with the strength of the guide field as it changes between 0 and a value equal to the asymptotic reversed field.
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"abstract": "We study the transition between anti-parallel and component collisionless\nmagnetic reconnection with 2D particle-in-cell simulations. The primary finding\nis that a guide field \\approx 0.1 times as strong as the asymptotic\nreconnecting field -- roughly the field strength at which the electron Larmor\nradius is comparable to the width of the electron current layer -- is\nsufficient to magnetize the electrons in the vicinity of the x-line, thus\ncausing significant changes to the structure of the electron dissipation\nregion. This implies that great care should be exercised before concluding that\nmagnetospheric reconnection is antiparallel. We also find that even for such\nweak guide fields strong inward-flowing electron beams form in the vicinity of\nthe magnetic separatrices and Buneman-unstable distribution functions arise at\nthe x-line itself. As in the calculations of {\\it Hesse et al.} [2002] and {\\it\nYin and Winske} [2003], the non-gyrotropic elements of the electron pressure\ntensor play the dominant role in decoupling the electrons from the magnetic\nfield at the x-line, regardless of the magnitude of the guide field and the\nassociated strong variations in the pressure tensor\u0027s spatial structure.\nDespite these changes, and consistent with previous work, the reconnection rate\ndoes not vary appreciably with the strength of the guide field as it changes\nbetween 0 and a value equal to the asymptotic reversed field.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0503064",
"authors": [
"M. Swisdak",
"J. F. Drake",
"M. A. Shay",
"J. G. McIlhargey"
],
"categories": [
"physics.space-ph",
"astro-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1029/2004JA010748",
"title": "The Transition from Anti-Parallel to Component Magnetic Reconnection",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0503064"
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