Experimental investigation of three-dimensional magnetic reconnection by use of two colliding spheromaks

Abstract

Experimental investigation of three-dimensional (3-D) effects of magnetic reconnection dynamics has been extended by use of axially colliding spheromaks [M. Yamada et al., Phys. Fluids B 3, 2379 (1991)]. The two toroidal shape spheromak plasmas with major radii of 15–20 cm and with parallel toroidal currents of up to 30 kA collide to merge in an external equilibrium field. It is important to note that the present experimental setup allows one to investigate magnetic reconnection comprehensively from both local and global points of view. Reconnection angle θ between the merging field lines is varied by changing the polarity of the internal toroidal field and the magnitude of an external toroidal field. It is observed that the speed of counterhelicity merging with θ∼180° is about three times faster than that of cohelicity merging with θ∼90°. This suggests the significance of a 3-D effect on the reconnection process. This difference is attributed to the property of the neutral current sheets with and without the magnetic field component parallel to the reconnection (X) line. In the counterhelicity merging, the neutral current sheet is compressed in much shorter time than in the cohelicity merging, resulting in much higher current density and subsequent faster decay of the current sheet. This induces a faster magnetic reconnection. The reconnection speed increases proportionally with the initial approaching speed of the spheromaks, suggesting that a compressible driven reconnection model is consistent with the present reconnection experimental results.