Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with a non-uniform guide field
Date
03/2016Grant ID
284515
ST/K000950/1
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Abstract
Results are presented of a first study of collisionless magnetic reconnection starting from a recently found exact nonlinear force-free Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium. The initial state has a Harris sheet magnetic field profile in one direction and a non-uniform guide field in a second direction, resulting in a spatially constant magnetic field strength as well as a constant initial plasma density and plasma pressure. It is found that the reconnection process initially resembles guide field reconnection, but that a gradual transition to anti-parallel reconnection happens as the system evolves. The time evolution of a number of plasma parameters is investigated, and the results are compared with simulations starting from a Harris sheet equilibrium and a Harris sheet plus constant guide field equilibrium.
Citation
Wilson , F , Neukirch , T , Hesse , M , Harrison , M G & Stark , C R 2016 , ' Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with a non-uniform guide field ' , Physics of Plasmas , vol. 23 , 032302 , pp. 1-11 . https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4942939
Publication
Physics of Plasmas
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1070-664XType
Journal article
Rights
© 2016 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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