dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaX-point collapse and saturation in the nonlinear tearing mode reconnection
| Authors | N. F. Loureiro, S. C. Cowley, W. D. Dorland, M. G. Haines, A. A. Schekochihin |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0507206 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0507206 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.235003 |
| Journal | Phys.Rev.Lett.95:235003,2005 |
Abstract
We study the nonlinear evolution of the resistive tearing mode in slab geometry in two dimensions. We show that, in the strongly driven regime (large Delta'), a collapse of the X-point occurs once the island width exceeds a certain critical value ~1/Delta'. A current sheet is formed and the reconnection is exponential in time with a growth rate ~eta^1/2, where eta is the resistivity. If the aspect ratio of the current sheet is sufficiently large, the sheet can itself become tearing-mode unstable, giving rise to secondary islands, which then coalesce with the original island. The saturated state depends on the value of Delta'. For small Delta', the saturation amplitude is ~Delta' and quantitatively agrees with the theoretical prediction. If Delta' is large enough for the X-point collapse to have occured, the saturation amplitude increases noticeably and becomes independent of Delta'.
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"abstract": "We study the nonlinear evolution of the resistive tearing mode in slab\ngeometry in two dimensions. We show that, in the strongly driven regime (large\nDelta\u0027), a collapse of the X-point occurs once the island width exceeds a\ncertain critical value ~1/Delta\u0027. A current sheet is formed and the\nreconnection is exponential in time with a growth rate ~eta^1/2, where eta is\nthe resistivity. If the aspect ratio of the current sheet is sufficiently\nlarge, the sheet can itself become tearing-mode unstable, giving rise to\nsecondary islands, which then coalesce with the original island. The saturated\nstate depends on the value of Delta\u0027. For small Delta\u0027, the saturation\namplitude is ~Delta\u0027 and quantitatively agrees with the theoretical prediction.\nIf Delta\u0027 is large enough for the X-point collapse to have occured, the\nsaturation amplitude increases noticeably and becomes independent of Delta\u0027.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0507206",
"authors": [
"N. F. Loureiro",
"S. C. Cowley",
"W. D. Dorland",
"M. G. Haines",
"A. A. Schekochihin"
],
"categories": [
"physics.plasm-ph",
"astro-ph",
"physics.space-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.235003",
"journal_ref": "Phys.Rev.Lett.95:235003,2005",
"title": "X-point collapse and saturation in the nonlinear tearing mode reconnection",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0507206"
},
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