PPPL-4873
Three-dimensional, Impulsive Magnetic Reconnection in a Laboratory Plasma
Authors: S. Dorfman, H. Ji, M. Yamada, J. Yoo, E. Lawrence, C. Myers and T. Tharp
Abstract:
Impulsive, local, 3-D reconnection is identified for the first time in a laboratory current sheet. The
events observed in the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX) are characterized by large local
gradients in the third direction and cannot be explained by 2-D models. Detailed measurements
show that the ejection of flux rope structures from the current sheet plays a key role in these events.
By contrast, even though electromagnetic fluctuations in the lower hybrid frequency range are also
observed concurrently with the impulsive behavior, they are not the key physics responsible. A
qualitative, 3-D, two-fluid model is proposed to explain the observations. The experimental results
may be particularly applicable to space and astrophysical plasmas where impulsive reconnection
occurs.
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Submitted to: Geographical Research Letters (November 2012)
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