Related papers: Magnetic Reconnection in Non-Equilibrium Ionizatio…
I propose that solar coronal heating is a self-regulating process that keeps the coronal plasma roughly marginally collisionless. The self-regulating mechanism is based on the interplay of two effects. First, plasma density controls coronal…
A time-dependent electric field gives rise to a stationary non-equilibrium current I^{(2)} around a mesoscopic metal ring threaded by a magnetic flux. We show that this current, which is proportional to the intensity of the field, is…
A new look at the structure of the electron diffusion region in collisionless magnetic reconnection is presented. The research is based on a particle-in-cell simulation of asymmetric magnetic reconnection, which include a temperature…
The main subject of my talk is the question: in what kind of astrophysical systems magnetic reconnection is interesting and/or important? To address this question, I first put forward three general criteria for selecting the relevant…
Solar flares are explosive releases of magnetic energy stored in the solar corona, driven by magnetic reconnection. These events accelerate electrons, generating hard X-ray emissions and often display Quasi Periodic Pulsations (QPPs) across…
Thermal instability in an electron-ion magnetized plasma, which is relevant in the intragalactic medium (IGM) of galaxy clusters, solar corona, and other two-component plasma objects is investigated. We apply the multicomponent plasma…
The ionization of hydrogen in the solar chromosphere and transition region does not obey LTE or instantaneous statistical equilibrium because the timescale is long compared with important hydrodynamical timescales, especially of…
We investigate the kinetic effects of upstream, magnetic field-aligned, flow shear on anti-parallel magnetic reconnection using 2.5D Particle-In-Cell simulations. Our results demonstrate that flow shear significantly alters the reconnection…
We survey the results of a long-term study of the process of radiative recombination. A rigorous theory of nonrelativistic electron radiative recombination with a hydrogen-like ion is used to calculate the total cross section of the…
This paper presents an updated framework for studying the ionizing conditions and elemental abundances of photoionized, metal-enriched quasar absorption systems. The standard assumption of ionization equilibrium invoked in absorption line…
Context. Coronal heating is currently thought to proceed via the mechanism of nanoflares, small-scale and possibly recurring heating events that release magnetic energy. Aims. We investigate the effects of a periodic high-energy electron…
An initial theoretical attempt to explain the observed decrease of the polytropic/adiabatic index $\gamma$ in the solar corona has been accomplished. The chemical reactions of the ionization-recombination processes in local thermodynamic…
The efficiency of energy conversion during magnetic reconnection is related to the reconnection rate. While the stable reconnection rate has been studied extensively, its growth between the time of reconnection onset and the peak…
We present new computations of the equilibrium and non-equilibrium cooling efficiencies and ionization states for low-density radiatively cooling gas containing cosmic abundances of the elements H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, and Fe. We…
Our understanding of the process of fast reconnection has undergone a dramatic change in the last 10 years driven, in part, by the availability of high-resolution numerical simulations that have consistently demonstrated the break-up of…
Magnetic reconnection is an important process in astrophysical environments, as it re-configures magnetic field topology and converts magnetic energy into thermal and kinetic energy. In extreme astrophysical systems, such as black hole…
Particle acceleration is one of the most significant features that are ubiquitous among space and cosmic plasmas. It is most prominent during flares in the case of the Sun, with which huge amount of electromagnetic radiation and high-energy…
We examine the effect of weak, small scale magnetic field structure on the rate of reconnection in a strongly magnetized plasma. This affects the rate of reconnection by reducing the transverse scale for reconnection flows, and by allowing…
Intensity bursts in ultraviolet (UV) to X-ray wavelengths and plasma jets are typical signatures of magnetic reconnection and the associated impulsive heating of the solar atmospheric plasma. To gain new insights into the process,…
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…