Abstract
Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in laboratory, magnetospheric, solar and astrophysical plasmas, whereby magnetic energy is converted into heat, bulk kinetic energy and fast particle energy. Its nature in two dimensions is much better understood than that in three dimensions, where its character is completely different and has many diverse aspects that are currently being explored. Here, we focus on the magnetohydrodynamics of three-dimensional reconnection in the plasma environment of the Solar System, especially solar flares. The theory of reconnection at null points, separators and quasi-separators is described, together with accounts of numerical simulations and observations of these three types of reconnection. The distinction between separator and quasi-separator reconnection is a theoretical one that is unimportant for the observations of energy release. A new paradigm for solar flares, in which three-dimensional reconnection plays a central role, is proposed.
Highlights
Magnetic reconnection is the basic paradigm in astrophysical, space and laboratory plasmas for converting magnetic energy into other forms, namely heat, bulk kinetic energy and fast particle energy
We focus on the magnetohydrodynamics of the process and its application in the solar atmosphere, especially in coronal heating and solar flares [1,2,3], and we describe a little of its action in the Earth’s magnetosphere
Null points have been shown to be present in abundance in the solar corona owing to the complexity of magnetic flux concentrated by photospheric convective motions and projecting through the solar surface into the atmosphere
Summary
Magnetic reconnection is the basic paradigm in astrophysical, space and laboratory plasmas for converting magnetic energy into other forms, namely heat, bulk kinetic energy and fast particle energy. Longcope [64] studied how separator current sheets form and dissipate He demonstrated how the current and energy storage are produced by a change in magnetic flux, and applied the ideas to X-ray bright points [65] and to solar flares [66]. Li et al [92] found circular-ribbon elongation at a high speed of 220 km s−1 It is a natural consequence of the flipping or slipping of magnetic field lines that occurs in null-point reconnection, as demonstrated by Pontin et al [80].
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