Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “MAGNETIC RECONNECTION”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

SLIPPING MAGNETIC RECONNECTIONS WITH MULTIPLE FLARE RIBBONS DURING AN X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE

With the observations of the Solar Dynamics Observatory , we present the slipping magnetic reconnections with multiple flare ribbons (FRs) during an X1.2 eruptive flare on 2014 January 7. A center negative polarity was surrounded by several positive ones, and three FRs appeared. The three FRs showed apparent slipping motions, and hook structures formed at their ends. Due to the moving footpoints of the erupting structures, one tight semi-circular hook disappeared after the slippage along its inner and outer edges, and coronal dimmings formed within the hook. The east hook also faded as a result of the magnetic reconnection between the arcades of a remote filament and a hot loop that was impulsively heated by the under flare loops. Our results are accordant with the slipping magnetic reconnection regime in three-dimensional standard model for eruptive flares. We suggest that the complex structures of the flare are likely a consequence of the more complex flux distribution in the photosphere, and the eruption involves at least two magnetic reconnections.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ion Acceleration and the Development of a Power-law Energy Spectrum in Magnetic Reconnection

How charged particles are accelerated efficiently and form a power-law energy spectrum in magnetic reconnection is a problem that is not well understood. In a previous paper, it was shown that the electron Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (EKHI) in force-free magnetic reconnection generates fast-expanding vortices that can accelerate electrons in a few tens of ion gyroperiods (less than 1 ms in the solar corona) to form a power-law energy distribution. In this paper, we present a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation study of ion acceleration in force-free magnetic reconnection in the presence of the EKHI-induced turbulence. We find that ions are not significantly accelerated by the EKHI-induced stochastic electric field until the magnetic vortices expand to sizes comparable to the ion gyroradius. The Alfvén waves generated by the EKHI couple with the magnetic vortices, leading to resonance between the ions inside the magnetic vortices and Alfvén waves and enhanced ion heating. The induced Alfvén wave resonance results in a broken power-law energy spectrum with a breakpoint at $\sim {m}_{i}{v}_{A}^{2}$, where v A is the Alfvén velocity. Here, we show that the process that forms the nonthermal tail is a second-order Fermi mechanism and the mean spectral index is α = (1 + 4 a 2 D/R) /2, where D is the spatial scale of the inductive electric field, R is that of vortices, and a = B g /B 0 , with ratio of guide field B g and asymptotic B 0 .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effects of a Guide Field on the Larmor Electric Field and Upstream Electron Temperature Anisotropy in Collisionless Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection

We perform the first study of the properties of the Larmor electric field (LEF) in collisionless asymmetric magnetic reconnection in the presence of an out-of-plane (guide) magnetic field for different sets of representative upstream parameters at Earth’s dayside magnetopause with an ion temperature greater than the electron temperature (the ion-to-electron temperature ratio fixed at 2) using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. We show that the LEF does persist in the presence of a guide field. We study how the LEF thickness and strength change as a function of guide field and the magnetospheric temperature and reconnecting magnetic field strength. We find that the thickness of the LEF structure decreases, while its magnitude increases when a guide field is added to the reconnecting magnetic field. The added guide field makes the Larmor radius smaller, so the scaling with the magnetospheric ion Larmor radius is similar to that reported for the case without a guide field. Note, however, that the physics causing the LEF is not well understood, so future work in other parameter regimes is needed to fully predict the LEF for arbitrary conditions. We also find that a previously reported upstream electron temperature anisotropy arises in the vicinity of the LEF region both with and without a guide field. We argue that the generation of the anisotropy is linked to the existence of the LEF. The LEF can be used in combination with the electron temperature anisotropy as a signature to effectively identify dayside reconnection sites in observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Magnetic Reconnection in High Energy Density Laboratory Plasmas

Understanding the physics of collisionless, magnetized plasmas is key to unlocking a number of important problems in space and astrophysics. Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental mechanism which can explosively release stored magnetic energy, convert it to plasma heat and flows, and accelerate particles. In this project we developed technique and conducted experiments and simulations of magnetic reconnection in laser produces plasmas. Through this project, we also developed experimental techniques to generate magnetized collisionless shocks, and we therefore expanded the scope of the project to develop these experiments. These projects make fundamental progress on understanding the dynamics of magnetized laser-produced plasmas. In additional to plasma astrophysics, these results have broad interest for laboratory high energy density plasmas, since magnetic fields can be used to confine and control plasmas in many contexts and may offer new capabilities toward laboratory ignited plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Collisionless magnetic reconnection in curved spacetime and the effect of black hole rotation

Magnetic reconnection in curved spacetime is studied in this paper by adopting a general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic model that retains collisionless effects for both electron-ion and pair plasmas. A simple generalization of the standard Sweet-Parker model allows us to obtain the first-order effects of the gravitational field of a rotating black hole. It is shown that the black hole rotation acts to increase the length of azimuthal reconnection layers, thus leading to a decrease of the reconnection rate. However, when coupled to collisionless thermal-inertial effects, the net reconnection rate is enhanced with respect to what would happen in a purely collisional plasma due to a broadening of the reconnection layer. Finally, these findings identify an underlying interaction between gravity and collisionless magnetic reconnection in the vicinity of compact objects.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Ion heating and magnetic flux pile-up in a magnetic reconnection experiment with super-Alfvénic plasma inflows

This work presents a magnetic reconnection experiment in which the kinetic, magnetic and thermal properties of the plasma each play an important role in the overall energy balance and structure of the generated reconnection layer. Magnetic reconnection occurs during the interaction of continuous and steady flows of super-Alfvénic, magnetized, aluminum plasma, which collide in a geometry with two-dimensional symmetry, producing a stable and long-lasting reconnection layer. Optical Thomson scattering measurements show that when the layer forms, ions inside the layer are more strongly heated than electrons, reaching temperatures of T i ~$ \overline{Z}\ $T e ≳300 eV – much greater than can be expected from strong shock and viscous heating alone. Later in time, as the plasma density in the layer increases, the electron and ion temperatures are found to equilibrate, and a constant plasma temperature is achieved through a balance of the heating mechanisms and radiative losses of the plasma. Conclusively, measurements from Faraday rotation polarimetry also indicate the presence of significant magnetic field pile-up occurring at the boundary of the reconnection region, which is consistent with the super-Alfvénic velocity of the inflows

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Ion heating and magnetic flux pile-up in a magnetic reconnection experiment with super-Alfvénic plasma inflows

This work presents a magnetic reconnection experiment in which the kinetic, magnetic and thermal properties of the plasma each play an important role in the overall energy balance and structure of the generated reconnection layer. Magnetic reconnection occurs during the interaction of continuous and steady flows of super-Alfvénic, magnetized, aluminum plasma, which collide in a geometry with two-dimensional symmetry, producing a stable and long-lasting reconnection layer. Optical Thomson scattering measurements show that when the layer forms, ions inside the layer are more strongly heated than electrons, reaching temperatures of $T_i \sim \bar Z_e > \sim 300 eV$ – much greater than can be expected from strong shock and viscous heating alone. Later in time, as the plasma density in the layer increases, the electron and ion temperatures are found to equilibrate, and a constant plasma temperature is achieved through a balance of the heating mechanisms and radiative losses of the plasma. Measurements from Faraday rotation polarimetry also indicate the presence of significant magnetic field pile-up occurring at the boundary of the reconnection region, which is consistent with the super-Alfvénic velocity of the inflows.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Using Direct Laboratory Measurements of Electron Temperature Anisotropy to Identify the Heating Mechanism in Electron-Only Guide Field Magnetic Reconnection

Anisotropic electron heating during electron-only magnetic reconnection with a large guide magnetic field is directly measured in a laboratory plasma through in situ measurements of electron velocity distribution functions. Electron heating preferentially parallel to the magnetic field is localized to one separatrix, and anisotropies of 1.5 are measured. The mechanism for electron energization is identified as the parallel reconnection electric field because of the anisotropic nature of the heating and spatial localization. These characteristics are reproduced in a 2D particle-in-cell simulation and are also consistent with numerous magnetosheath observations. A measured increase in the perpendicular temperature along both separatrices is not reproduced by our 2D simulations. Here, this work has implications for energy partition studies in magnetosheath and laboratory reconnection.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Momentum transport and nonlocality in heat-flux-driven magnetic reconnection in high-energy-density plasmas

Recent theory has demonstrated a novel physics regime for magnetic reconnection in high-energy-density plasmas where the magnetic field is advected by heat flux via the Nernst effect. In this paper, we elucidate the physics of the electron dissipation layer in this regime. Through fully kinetic simulation and a generalized Ohm's law derived from first principles, we show that momentum transport due to a nonlocal effect, the heat-flux-viscosity, provides the dissipation mechanism for magnetic reconnection. Scaling analysis, and simulations show that the reconnection process comprises a magnetic field compression stage and quasisteady reconnection stage, and the characteristic width of the current sheet in this regime is several electron mean-free paths. Finally, these results show the important interplay between nonlocal transport effects and generation of anisotropic components to the distribution function.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

The two-fluid dynamics and energetics of the asymmetric magnetic reconnection in laboratory and space plasmas

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in magnetized plasma where magnetic energy is converted to plasma energy. Despite huge differences in the physical size of the reconnection layer, remarkably similar characteristics are observed in both laboratory and magnetosphere plasmas. Here we present the comparative study of the dynamics and physical mechanisms governing the energy conversion in the laboratory and space plasma in the context of two-fluid physics, aided by numerical simulations. In strongly asymmetric reconnection layers with negligible guide field, the energy deposition to electrons is found to primarily occur in the electron diffusion region where electrons are demagnetized and diffuse. A large potential well is observed within the reconnection plane and ions are accelerated by the electric field toward the exhaust region. In conclusion, the present comparative study identifies the robust two-fluid mechanism operating in systems over six orders of magnitude in spatial scales and over a wide range of collisionality.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Two-Fluid Dynamics and Energetics of the Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection in Laboratory and Space Plasmas

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in magnetized plasma where magnetic energy is converted to plasma energy. Despite huge differences in the physical size of the reconnection layer, remarkably similar characteristics are observed in both laboratory and magnetosphere plasmas. Here we present the comparative study of the dynamics and physical mechanisms governing the energy conversion in the laboratory and space plasma in the context of two-fluid physics, aided by numerical simulations. In strongly asymmetric reconnection layers with negligible guide field, the energy deposition to electrons is found to primarily occur in the electron diffusion region where electrons are demagnetized and diffuse. A large potential well is observed within the reconnection plane and ions are accelerated by the electric field toward the exhaust region. The present comparative study identifies the robust two-fluid mechanism operating in systems over six orders of magnitude in spatial scales and over a wide range of collisionality.

Yamada, M.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Cold Ion Demagnetization near the X-line of Magnetic Reconnection

Although the effects of magnetic reconnection in magnetospheres can be observed at planetary scales, reconnection is initiated at electron scales in a plasma. Surrounding the electron diffusion region, there is an Ion-Decoupling Region (IDR) of the size of the ion length scales (inertial length and gyroradius). Reconnection at the Earths magnetopause often includes cold magnetospheric (few tens of eV), hot magnetospheric (10 keV), and magnetosheath (1 keV) ions, with different gyroradius length scales. We report observations of a subregion inside the IDR of the size of the cold ion population gyroradius (approx. 15 km) where the cold ions are demagnetized and accelerated parallel to the Hall electric field. Outside the subregion, cold ions follow the E x B motion together with electrons, while hot ions are demagnetized. We observe a sharp cold ion density gradient separating the two regions, which we identify as the cold and hot IDRs.

Toledo-Redondo, Serio↗
NASA NTRS2006

Electrodynamics in a Very Thin Current Sheet Leading to Magnetic Reconnection

We study the formation of a very thin current sheet (CS) and associated plasma electrodynamics using three-dimensional (3-D) particle-in-cell simulations with ion to electron mass ratio M/m=1836. The CS is driven by imposed anti-parallel magnetic fields. The noteworthy features of the temporal evolution of the CS are the following: (i) Steepening of the magnetic field profile B,(z) in the central part of the CS, (ii) Generation of three-peak current distribution with the largest peak in the CS center as B,(z) steepens, (iii) Generation of converging electric fields forming a potential well in the CS center in which ions are accelerated. (iv) Electron and ion heating in the central part of the CS by current-driven instabilities (CDI). (v) Re-broadening of the CS due to increased kinetic plasma pressure in the CS center. (vi) Generation of electron temperature anisotropy with temperature perpendicular to the magnetic field being larger than the parallel one. (vii) Current disruption by electron trapping in an explosively growing electrostatic instability (EGEI) and electron tearing instability (ETI). (viii)The onset of EGEI coincides with an increase in the electron temperature above the temperature of the initially hot ions as well as the appearance of new shear in the electron drift velocity. (ix) Bifurcation of the central CS by the current disruption. (x) Magnetic reconnection (MR) beginning near the null in B, and spreading outward. (xi) Generation of highly energized electrons reaching relativistic speeds and having isotropic pitch-angle distribution in the region of reconnected magnetic fields. We compare some of these features of the current sheet with results from laboratory and space experiments.

Singh, Nagendra↗
NASA NTRS2024

Enablement or Suppression of Collisionless Magnetic- Reconnection By the Background Plasma Beta and Guide Field

How magnetic reconnection is triggered or suppressed is an important outstanding problem. By considering pinching of a current sheet that has formed at non-equilibrium, we show that the background plasma beta is a major controlling factor in the onset and nature of magnetic reconnection. A high plasma beta inhibits a current sheet from pinching down to kinetic scales required for collisionless reconnection, while a low beta facilitates it. A simple adiabatic model provides a good prediction for the reconnection-enabled regions in thickness versus peak plasma beta space, which are confirmed by a series of particle-in-cell simulations with varying initial parameters. A strong dependency of the peak reconnection rate on the plasma beta is clearly predicted with reconnection being favored in low beta conditions. A finite guide field is an additional source of reconnection suppression, consistent with previous observations that reconnection requires a large enough magnetic shear angle for high-beta situations.

Young-Dae Yoon↗
DOE OSTI2020

Flattening of the tokamak current profile by a fast magnetic reconnection with implications for the solar corona

During tokamak disruptions, the profile of the net parallel current is observed to flatten on a time scale that is so fast that it must be due to a fast magnetic reconnection. After a fast magnetic reconnection has broken magnetic surfaces, a single magnetic field line covers an entire volume and not just a magnetic surface. The current profile, given by K ≡ μ 0 j | | / B , relaxes to a constant within that volume by Alfven waves propagating along the chaotic magnetic field lines. The time scale for this relaxation determines the commonly observed disruption phenomena of a current spike and a sudden drop in the plasma internal inductance. An efficient method for studying this relaxation is derived, which allows a better understanding of the information encoded in the current spike and the associated sudden drop in the plasma internal inductance. Implications for coronal heating are also discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Understanding the dynamics and energetics of magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma: Review of recent progress on selected fronts

Here, magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process at work in laboratory, space, and astrophysical plasmas, in which magnetic field lines change their topology and convert magnetic energy to plasma particles by acceleration and heating. One of the most important problems in reconnection research has been to understand why reconnection occurs so much faster than predicted by magnetohydrodynamics theory. Following the recent pedagogical review of this subject [Yamada et al., Rev. Mod. Phys. 82, 603 (2010)], this paper presents a review of more recent discoveries and findings in the research of fast magnetic reconnection in laboratory, space, and astrophysical plasmas. In spite of the huge difference in physical scales, we find remarkable commonality between the characteristics of the magnetic reconnection in laboratory and space plasmas. In this paper, we will focus especially on the energy flow, a key feature of the reconnection process. In particular, the experimental results on the energy conversion and partitioning in a laboratory reconnection layer [Yamada et al., Nat. Commun. 5, 4474 (2014)] are discussed and compared with quantitative estimates based on two-fluid analysis. In the Magnetic ReconnectionExperiment, we find that energy deposition to electrons is localized near the X-point and is mostly from the electric field component perpendicular to the magnetic field. The mechanisms of ion acceleration and heating are also identified, and a systematic and quantitative study on the inventory of converted energy within a reconnection layer with a well-defined but variable boundary. The measured energy partition in a reconnection region of similar effective size (L ≈ 3 ion skin depths) of the Earth's magneto-tail [Eastwood et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 225001 (2013)] is notably consistent with our laboratory results. Finally, to study the global aspects of magnetic reconnection, we have carried out a laboratory experiment on the stability criteria for solar flare eruptions, including “storage and release” mechanisms of magnetic energy. We show that toroidalmagnetic flux generated by magnetic relaxation (reconnection) processes generates a new stabilizing force which prevents plasma eruption. This result has led us to discover a new stabilizing force for solar flares [Myers et al., Nature 528, 526 (2015)].

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

Evidence for a Magnetic Reconnection Origin of Plasma Outflows along Post-CME Rays

Bright rays are often observed after coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupt. These rays are dynamical structures along which plasmas move outward. We investigated the outflows along the post-CME rays observed by the COR2 on board STEREO Behind on 2013 September 21 and 22. We tracked two CMEs, two ray tips, and seven blobs using the NAVE optical flow technique. As a result, we found that the departure times of blobs and ray tips from the optimally chosen starting height of 0.5 R{sub ⊙} coincided with the occurrence times of the corresponding recurrent small flares within 10 minutes. These small flares took place many hours after the major flares. This result supports a magnetic reconnection origin of the outward flows along the post-CME ray and the importance of magnetic islands for understanding the process of magnetic reconnection. The total energy of magnetic reconnection maintaining the outflows for 40 hr is estimated at 1.4×10{sup 30} erg. Further investigations of plasma outflows along post-CME rays will shed much light on the physical properties of magnetic reconnection occurring in the solar corona.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Corotating Magnetic Reconnection Site in Saturn’s Magnetosphere

Using measurements from the Cassini spacecraft in Saturn’s magnetosphere, we propose a 3D physical picture of a corotating reconnection site, which can only be driven by an internally generated source. Our results demonstrate that the corotating magnetic reconnection can drive an expansion of the current sheet in Saturn’s magnetosphere and, consequently, can produce Fermi acceleration of electrons. This reconnection site lasted for longer than one of Saturn’s rotation period. The long-lasting and corotating natures of the magnetic reconnection site at Saturn suggest fundamentally different roles of magnetic reconnection in driving magnetospheric dynamics (e.g., the auroral precipitation) from the Earth. Our corotating reconnection picture could also potentially shed light on the fast rotating magnetized plasma environments in the solar system and beyond.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗