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On the Distribution of Plasmoids In High-Lundquist-Number Magnetic Reconnection

Plasma Physics 2013-01-03 v1 Solar and Stellar Astrophysics Fluid Dynamics Space Physics

Abstract

The distribution function f(ψ)f(\psi) of magnetic flux ψ\psi in plasmoids formed in high-Lundquist-number current sheets is studied by means of an analytic phenomenological model and direct numerical simulations. The distribution function is shown to follow a power law f(ψ)ψ1f(\psi)\sim\psi^{-1}, which differs from other recent theoretical predictions. Physical explanations are given for the discrepant predictions of other theoretical models.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1211.6708,
  title  = {On the Distribution of Plasmoids In High-Lundquist-Number Magnetic Reconnection},
  author = {Yi-Min Huang and A. Bhattacharjee},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1211.6708},
  year   = {2013}
}

Comments

Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett