Related papers: Magnetic Reconnection by a Self-Retreating X-Line
Particle in cell (PIC) simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection are presented that demonstrate that the electron dissipation region develops a distinct two-scale structure along the outflow direction. The length of the electron…
Contrary to all the 2D models, where the reconnection x-line extent is infinitely long, we study magnetic reconnection in the opposite limit. The scaling of the average reconnection rate and outflow speed are modeled as a function of the…
We present particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection in a system (like the magnetopause) with a large density asymmetry across the current layer. In the presence of an ambient component of the magnetic field…
The structure of magnetic reconnection-driven outflows and their dissipation are explored with large-scale, 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. Outflow jets resulting from 3-D reconnection with a finite length x-line form fronts as they…
To investigate the impact of current sheet motion on the reconnection process, we perform resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of two closely located reconnection sites which move apart from each other as reconnection develops.…
The orientation and stability of the reconnection x-line in asymmetric geometry is studied using three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations. We initiate reconnection at the center of a large simulation domain to minimize the…
Using fully kinetic simulations, we study the suppression of asymmetric reconnection in the limit where the diamagnetic drift speed >> Alfven speed and the magnetic shear angle is moderate. We demonstrate that the slippage between electrons…
Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous phenomenon in turbulent plasmas. It is an important part of the turbulent dynamics and heating of space and astrophysical plasmas. We examine the statistics of magnetic reconnection using a quantitative…
The spreading of the X-line out of the reconnection plane under a strong guide field is investigated using large-scale three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations in asymmetric magnetic reconnection. A simulation with a thick,…
The recently discovered electron-only reconnection has drawn great interests due to abnormal features like lack of ion outflows and high reconnection rates. Using particle-in-cell simulations, we investigate their physical mechanisms. The…
Magnetic reconnection is a leading mechanism for magnetic energy conversion and high-energy non-thermal particle production in a variety of high-energy astrophysical objects, including ones with relativistic ion-electron plasmas (e.g.,…
Using fully kinetic simulations, we study the scaling of the inflow speed of collisionless magnetic reconnection from the non-relativistic to ultra-relativistic limit. In the anti-parallel configuration, the inflow speed increases with the…
Using 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, we study magnetic reconnection with the x-line being spatially confined in the current direction. We include thick current layers to prevent reconnection at two ends of a thin current sheet that…
Using 2-dimensional (2D) magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations, we show that Petschek-type magnetic reconnection can be induced using a simple resistivity gradient in the reconnection outflow direction, revealing the key ingredient of…
Magnetic reconnection can power spectacular high-energy astrophysical phenomena by producing non-thermal energy distributions in highly magnetized regions around compact objects. By means of two-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell…
Numerical simulations have consistently shown that the reconnection rate in certain collisionless regimes can be fast, on the order of $0.1 v_A B_u$, where $v_A$ and $B_u$ are the Alfv\'en speed and the reconnecting magnetic field upstream…
Magnetic reconnection plays an essential role in the generation and evolution of astrophysical magnetic fields. The best tested and most robust reconnection theory is that of Parker and Sweet. According to this theory, the reconnection rate…
Magnetic reconnection with asymmetry in the outflow direction occurs in the Earth's magnetotail, coronal mass ejections, flux cancellation events, astrophysical disks, spheromak merging experiments, and elsewhere in nature and the…
We present preliminary results of particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection for conditions that apply to magnetically dominated pair plasma jets such as those in gamma-ray bursts. We find similar behaviour to…
We investigate magnetic reconnection in systems simultaneously containing asymmetric (anti-parallel) magnetic fields, asymmetric plasma densities and temperatures, and arbitrary in-plane bulk flow of plasma in the upstream regions. Such…