Search NASASearch

DOE OSTI · 3794259

Magnet System Design and Optimization for a Novel Plasmoid Magnetic Reconnection Thruster Prototype

Abstract

The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Wang, Jiawen [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton, NJ, USA] (ORCID:0009000840255813), Ebrahimi, Fatima [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton, NJ, USA] (ORCID:0000000331095367), Titus, Peter [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton, NJ, USA] (ORCID:0000000336434866), Brooks, Arthur [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton, NJ, USA] (ORCID:0000000343881445), Lunsford, Robert [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton, NJ, USA] (ORCID:0000000335886801). 2026-09-01. Magnet System Design and Optimization for a Novel Plasmoid Magnetic Reconnection Thruster Prototype. https://doi.org/10.1109/tps.2026.3724063

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Giant Magnetar Bursts

Gradual crustal deformation can generate strongly twisted magnetic fields around magnetars, potentially triggering giant flares with total energies exceeding 10 44 erg. In this letter, we present the first relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a surface shear-driven magnetar eruption, capturing reconnection-driven plasma heating, the ejection of relativistically hot plasma, and the formation of a hot fireball confined within the inner magnetosphere. We find that magnetic reconnection in the equatorial current sheet launches a hot trailing outflow capable of powering the initial spike observed in giant flares, while simultaneously leaving behind a thermally stratified fireball with sufficient thermal energy to produce the pulsating, decaying tail. Together, these features provide a self-consistent physical framework for understanding the observed energetics of magnetar giant flares. The eruption also expels a magnetically dominated giant plasmoid carrying up to ∼9% of the magnetosphere’s total magnetic energy. Furthermore, our simulation demonstrates how the plasmoid drives the formation of a blast wave—an important ingredient in models linking magnetar eruptions to fast radio bursts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Role of ion acoustic instability in magnetic reconnection

We report on a first-principles numerical study of magnetic reconnection in plasmas with different initial ion-to-electron temperature ratios. In cases where this ratio is significantly below unity, we observe intense wave activity in the diffusion region, driven by the ion-acoustic instability. Our analysis shows that the dominant macroscopic effect of this instability is to drive substantial ion heating. In contrast to earlier studies reporting significant anomalous resistivity, we find that anomalous contributions due to the ion-acoustic instability are minimal. These results shed light on the dynamical impact of this instability on reconnection processes, offering new insights into the fundamental physics governing collisionless reconnection.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY