Abstract
The reconnection of magnetic field lines of force has been invoked as a key process for astrophysical and geophysical problems such as solar flares, geomagnetic storms, strong radio sources and star formations. The problem was first investigated by Dungey (1953), then by Sweet (1958) and Parker (1963). The main objective in most of these and other papers was to investigate a mechanism (magnetic field annihilation) capable of accelerating to high energies the large number of particles observed in large solar flares. The mathematical models developed therefore used mainly the conditions of the plasma in the solar atmosphere (see Petschek, 1963; Sonnerup, 1970; Yeh and Axford, 1970; Stevenson, 1972). Until recently, however, no experimental study of the reconnection problem was available.
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