Out-of-plane bipolar and quadrupolar magnetic fields generated by shear flows in two-dimensional resistive reconnection

Abstract

Shear flows perpendicular to the anti-parallel reconnecting magnetic field are often observed in magnetosphere and interplanetary plasmas, and in laboratory plasmas toroidal differential rotations can also be generated in magnetic confinement devices. Our study finds that such shear flows can generate bipolar or quadrupolar out-of-plane magnetic field perturbations in a two-dimensional resistive MHD reconnection without the Hall effects. The quadrupolar structure has otherwise been thought a typical Hall MHD reconnection feature caused by the in-plane electron convection. The results will challenge the conventional understanding and satellite observations of the signature of reconnection evidences in space plasmas.