Magnetic Field Reconnection Research Articles

Chains of type-I radio bursts and drifting pulsation structures

Aims. Owing to similarities of chains of type-I radio bursts and drifting pulsation structures the question arises as to whether both these radio bursts are generated by similar processes.Methods. Characteristics and parameters of both these radio bursts are compared.Results. We present examples of both types of bursts and show their similarities and differences. Then, for chains of type-I bursts, a similar model as for drifting pulsation structures (DPSs) is proposed. We show that, similar to the DPS model, the chains of type-I bursts can be generated by the fragmented magnetic reconnection associated with plasmoid interactions. To support this new model of chains of type-I bursts, we present an effect of merging two plasmoids to form one larger plasmoid on the radio spectrum of DPS. This process can also explain the ‘wavy’ appearance of some chains of type-I bursts. Further, we show that the chains of type-I bursts with the wavy appearance can be used for estimation of the magnetic field strength in their sources. We think that differences of chains of type-I bursts and DPSs are mainly owing to different regimes of the magnetic field reconnection. While in the case of chains of type-I bursts, the magnetic reconnection and plasmoid interactions are in the quasi-separatrix layer of the active region in more or less quasi-saturated regime, in the case of DPSs, observed in the impulsive phase of eruptive flares, the magnetic reconnection and plasmoid interactions are in the current sheet formed under the flare magnetic rope, which moves upwards and forces this magnetic reconnection.

Comparative study of three reconnection X line models at the Earth's dayside magnetopause using in situ observations

AbstractThis work examines the large‐scale aspects of magnetic field reconnection at the Earth's dayside magnetopause. We use two sets of reconnection events, which are identified mostly by the in situ detection of accelerated and Alfvénic plasma flows. We intercompare three analytical models that predict the reconnection X line location and orientation, namely, the Trattner et al. (2007) and Swisdak and Drake (2007) models and also a modified version of the component merging model. In the first set of reconnection observations, we show three fortuitous, quasi‐simultaneous dayside magnetopause crossing events where two widely separated spacecraft detect reconnection signatures, and the X line location and orientation can be inferred from the observations. We compare X line model predictions to those inferred from observations. These three reconnection events indicate the presence of an extended (>7 Earth radii in length), component‐type reconnection X line on Earth's dayside magnetopause connecting and structuring the reconnection signatures at locations far apart. In the second set of reconnection events, we analyze the X line models' performance in predicting the observed reconnection outflow direction, i.e., its north‐south and/or east‐west senses, in a total of 75 single, rather than multiple and quasi‐simultaneous, magnetopause crossing events, where reconnection‐associated plasma flows were clearly present. We found that the Swisdak and Drake's (2007) X line model performs slightly better, albeit not statistically significant, when predicting both accelerated plasma flow north‐south and east‐west components in 73% and 53% of the cases, respectively, as compared to the Trattner et al. (2007) model (70% north‐south and 42% east‐west) and the modified component merging model (66% north‐south and 50% east‐west).

Fast radio burst source properties and curvature radiation model

We use the observed properties of fast radio bursts (FRBs) and a number of general physical considerations to provide a broad-brush model for the physical properties of FRB sources and the radiation mechanism. We show that the magnetic field in the source region should be at least 10^{14} Gauss. This strong field is required to ensure that the electrons have sufficiently high ground state Landau energy so that particle collisions, instabilities, and strong electric and magnetic fields associated with the FRB radiation do not perturb electrons' motion in the direction transverse to the magnetic field and destroy their coherent motion; coherence is required by the high observed brightness temperature of FRB radiation. The electric field in the source region required to sustain particle motion for a wave period is estimated to be of order 10^{11} esu. These requirements suggest that FRBs are produced near the surface of magnetars perhaps via forced reconnection of magnetic fields to produce episodic, repeated, outbursts. The beaming-corrected energy release in these bursts is estimated to be ~10^{36} ergs, whereas the total energy in the magnetic field is at least ~10^{45} ergs. We provide a number of predictions for this model which can be tested by future observations. One of which is that short duration FRB-like bursts should exist at much higher frequencies, possibly up to optical.

Nonlinear evolution of electron shear flow instabilities in the presence of an external guide magnetic field

The dissipation mechanism by which the magnetic field reconnects in the presence of an external (guide) magnetic field in the direction of the main current is not well understood. In thin electron current sheets (half thickness close to an electron inertial length) formed in a quasi-steady state of collisionless magnetic reconnection, electron shear flow instabilities are potential candidates for providing an anomalous dissipation mechanism which can break the frozen-in condition of the magnetic field affecting the structure and rate of reconnection. We present the results of investigations of the evolution of electron shear flow instabilities, from linear to nonlinear state, in guide field magnetic reconnection. The properties of the plasma turbulence resulting from the growth of instability and their dependence on the strength of the guide field are studied. For this sake, we utilize the three dimensional electron-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of electron current sheets. We show that, unlike the case of current sheets self-consistently embedded in anti-parallel magnetic fields, the evolution of thin electron current sheets in the presence of a finite external guide field (equal to the asymptotic value of the reconnecting magnetic field or larger) is dominated by high wave number non-tearing mode instabilities. The latter causes the development of, first, a wavy structure of the current sheet. The turbulence, developed later, consists of current filaments and electron flow vortices. As a result of the nonlinear evolution of instability, the current sheet broadens simultaneously with its flattening in the central region mimicking a viscous-like turbulent dissipation. Later, the flattened current sheet bifurcates. During the time of bifurcation, the rate of the change of mean electron flow velocity is proportional to the magnitude of the flow velocity, suggesting a resistive-like dissipation. The turbulence energy cascades to shorter wavelengths preferentially in the direction perpendicular to the guide magnetic field. The degree of anisotropy of the turbulence was found to increase with the increasing strength of the guide field.

GEMINGA’S PUZZLING PULSAR WIND NEBULA

ABSTRACT We report on six new Chandra observations of the Geminga pulsar wind nebula (PWN). The PWN consists of three distinct elongated structures—two ≈ 0.2 d 250 pc long lateral tails and a segmented axial tail of ≈ 0.05 d 250 pc length, where d 250 = d / ( 250 pc ) . The photon indices of the power-law spectra of the lateral tails, Γ ≈ 1 , are significantly harder than those of the pulsar ( Γ ≈ 1.5 ) and the axial tail ( Γ ≈ 1.6 ). There is no significant diffuse X-ray emission between the lateral tails—the ratio of the X-ray surface brightness between the south tail and this sky area is at least 12. The lateral tails apparently connect directly to the pulsar and show indications of moving footpoints. The axial tail comprises time-variable emission blobs. However, there is no evidence for constant or decelerated outward motion of these blobs. Different physical models are consistent with the observed morphology and spectra of the Geminga PWN. In one scenario, the lateral tails could represent an azimuthally asymmetric shell whose hard emission is caused by the Fermi acceleration mechanism of colliding winds. In another scenario, the lateral tails could be luminous, bent polar outflows, while the blobs in the axial tail could represent a crushed torus. In a resemblance to planetary magnetotails, the blobs of the axial tail might also represent short-lived plasmoids, which are formed by magnetic field reconnection in the relativistic plasma of the pulsar wind tail.

Chaos-induced resistivity of collisionless magnetic reconnection in the presence of a guide field

One of the most puzzling problems in astrophysics is to understand the anomalous resistivity in collisionless magnetic reconnection that is believed extensively to be responsible for the energy release in various eruptive phenomena. The magnetic null point in the reconnecting current sheet, acting as a scattering center, can lead to chaotic motions of particles in the current sheet, which is one of the possible mechanisms for anomalous resistivity and is called chaos-induced resistivity. In many interesting cases, however, instead of the magnetic null point, there is a nonzero magnetic field perpendicular to the merging field lines, usually called the guide field, whose effect on chaos-induced resistivity has been an open problem. By use of the test particle simulation method and statistical analysis, we investigate chaos-induced resistivity in the presence of a constant guide field. The characteristics of particle motion in the reconnecting region, in particular, the chaotic behavior of particle orbits and evolving statistical features, are analyzed. The results show that as the guide field increases, the radius of the chaos region increases and the Lyapunov index decreases. However, the effective collision frequency, and hence the chaos-induced resistivity, reach their peak values when the guide field approaches half of the characteristic strength of the reconnection magnetic field. The presence of a guide field can significantly influence the chaos of the particle orbits and hence the chaos-induced resistivity in the reconnection sheet, which decides the collisionless reconnection rate. The present result is helpful for us to understand the microphysics of anomalous resistivity in collisionless reconnection with a guide field.

Structural properties of the solar flare-producing coronal current system developed in an emerging magnetic flux tube

Abstract The activity of a magnetic structure formed in the solar corona depends on a coronal current system developed in the structure, which determines how an electric current flows in the corona. To investigate structural properties of the coronal current system responsible for producing a solar flare, we perform magnetohydrodynamic simulation of an emerging magnetic flux tube which forms a coronal magnetic structure. Investigation using fractal dimensional analysis and electric current streamlines reveals that the flare-producing coronal current system relies on a specific coronal current structure of two-dimensional spatiality, which has a sub-region where a nearly anti-parallel magnetic field configuration is spontaneously generated. We discuss the role of this locally generated anti-parallel magnetic field configuration in causing the reconnection of a three-dimensional magnetic field, which is a possible mechanism for producing a flare. We also discuss how the twist of a magnetic flux tube affects structural properties of a coronal current system, showing how much volume current flux is carried into the corona by an emerging flux tube. This gives a way to evaluate the activity of a coronal magnetic structure.

Magnetic reconnection: from MHD to QED

The paper examines the prospects of using laser plasmas for studying novel regimes of the magnetic field line reconnection and charged particle acceleration. Basic features of plasma dynamics in the three-dimensional configurations relevant to the formation of current sheets in a plasma are addressed by analyzing exact self-similar solutions of the magneto-hydrodynamics and electron magneto-hydrodynamics equations. Then the magnetic field annihilation in the ultrarelativistic limit is considered, when the opposite polarity magnetic field is generated in collisionless plasma by multiple laser pulses, in the regime with a dominant contribution of the displacement current exciting a strong large-scale electric field. This field leads to the conversion of the magnetic energy into the kinetic energy of accelerated particles inside a thin current sheet. Charged particle acceleration during magnetic field reconnection is discussed when radiation friction and quantum electrodynamics effects become dominant.

Solar eruptions: The CME‐flare relationship

AbstractCoronal mass ejections (CMEs), caused by large‐scale eruptions of the coronal magnetic field, often are accompanied by a more localized energy release in the form of flares, as a result of dissipative magnetic‐field reconfiguration. Morphology and evolution of such flares, also denoted as dynamical flares are often explained as a consequence of reconnection of the arcade magnetic field, taking place below the erupting magnetic flux rope. A close relationship of the CME acceleration and the flare energy release is evidenced by various statistical correlations between parameters describing CMEs and flares, as well as by the synchronization of the CME acceleration phase with the impulsive phase of the associated flare. Such behavior implies that there must be a feedback relation between the dynamics of the CME and the flare‐associated reconnection process. From the theoretical standpoint, magnetic reconnection affects the CME dynamics in several ways. First, it reduces the tension of the overlying arcade magnetic field and increases the magnetic pressure below the flux rope, and in this way enhances the CME acceleration. Furthermore, it supplies the poloidal magnetic flux to the flux rope, which helps sustaining the electric current in the rope and prolonging the action of the driving Lorentz force to large distances. The role of these processes, directly relating solar flares and CMEs, is illustrated by employing a simple model, where the erupting structure is represented by a curved flux rope anchored at both sides in the dense/inert photosphere, being subject to the kink and torus instability. It is shown that in most strongly accelerated ejections, where values on the order of 10km s–2 are attained, the poloidal flux supplied to the erupting rope has to be several times larger than was the initial flux. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Magnetic field line braiding in the solar atmosphere

AbstractUsing a magnetic carpet as model for the near surface solar magnetic field we study its effects on the propagation of energy injectected by photospheric footpoint motions. Such a magnetic carpet structure is topologically highly non-trivial and with its magnetic nulls exhibits qualitatively different behavior than simpler magnetic fields. We show that the presence of magnetic fields connecting back to the photosphere inhibits the propagation of energy into higher layers of the solar atmosphere, like the solar corona. By applying certain types of footpoint motions the magnetic field topology is is greatly reduced through magnetic field reconnection which facilitates the propagation of energy and disturbances from the photosphere.

Reconnection guide field and quadrupolar structure observed by MMS on 16 October 2015 at 1307 UT

AbstractWe estimate the guide field near the X point, BM0, for a magnetopause crossing by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft at 1307 UT on 16 October 2015 that showed features of electron‐scale reconnection. This component of the magnetic field is normal to the reconnection plane L‐N containing the reconnection magnetic field, BL, and the direction eN normal to the current sheet. The BM field component appears to approximately have quadrupolar structure close to the X point. Using several different methods to estimate values of the guide field near the X point, some of which use an assumed quadrupolar symmetry, we find values ranging between −3.1 nT and −1.2 nT, with a nominal value of about −2.5 nT. The rough consistency of these values is evidence that the quadrupolar structure exists.

Localized electron heating during magnetic reconnection in MAST

Significant increase in the plasma temperature above 1 keV was measured during the kilogauss magnetic field reconnection of two merging toroidal plasmas under the high-guide field and collision-less conditions. The electron temperature was observed to peak significantly at the X-point inside the current sheet, indicating Joule heating caused by the toroidal electric field along the X-line. This peaked temperature increases significantly with the guide field, in agreement with the electron mean-free path calculation. The slow electron heating in the downstream suggests energy conversion from ions to electrons through ion-electron collisions in the bulk plasma as the second electron heating mechanism in the bulk plasma. The electron density profile clearly reveals the electron density pile-up / fast shock structures in the downstream of reconnection, suggesting energy conversion from ion flow energy to ion thermal energy as well as significant ion heating by reconnection outflow.

Magnetospheric Multiscale Satellites Observations of Parallel Electric Fields Associated with Magnetic Reconnection.

We report observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites of parallel electric fields (E_{∥}) associated with magnetic reconnection in the subsolar region of the Earth's magnetopause. E_{∥} events near the electron diffusion region have amplitudes on the order of 100 mV/m, which are significantly larger than those predicted for an antiparallel reconnection electric field. This Letter addresses specific types of E_{∥} events, which appear as large-amplitude, near unipolar spikes that are associated with tangled, reconnected magnetic fields. These E_{∥} events are primarily in or near a current layer near the separatrix and are interpreted to be double layers that may be responsible for secondary reconnection in tangled magnetic fields or flux ropes. These results are telling of the three-dimensional nature of magnetopause reconnection and indicate that magnetopause reconnection may be often patchy and/or drive turbulence along the separatrix that results in flux ropes and/or tangled magnetic fields.

Kinetic signatures of the region surrounding the X line in asymmetric (magnetopause) reconnection

AbstractKinetic particle‐in‐cell simulations are used to identify signatures of the electron diffusion region (EDR) and its surroundings during asymmetric magnetic reconnection. A “shoulder” in the sunward pointing normal electric field (EN > 0) at the reconnection magnetic field reversal is a good indicator of the EDR and is caused by magnetosheath electron meandering orbits in the vicinity of the X line. Earthward of the X line, electrons accelerated by EN form strong currents and crescent‐shaped distribution functions in the plane perpendicular to B. Just downstream of the X line, parallel electric fields create field‐aligned crescent electron distribution functions. In the immediate upstream magnetosheath, magnetic field strength, plasma density, and perpendicular electron temperatures are lower than the asymptotic state. In the magnetosphere inflow region, magnetosheath ions intrude resulting in an Earthward pointing electric field and parallel heating of magnetospheric particles. Many of the above properties persist with a guide field of at least unity.

Bunker probe: A plasma potential probe almost insensitive to its orientation with the magnetic field.

Due to their ability to suppress a large part of the electron current and thus measuring directly the plasma potential, ion sensitive probes have begun to be widely tested and used in fusion devices. For these probes to work, almost perfect alignment with the total magnetic field is necessary. This condition cannot always be fulfilled due to the curvature of magnetic fields, complex magnetic structure, or magnetic field reconnection. In this perspective, we have developed a plasma potential probe (named Bunker probe) based on the principle of the ion sensitive probe but almost insensitive to its orientation with the total magnetic field. Therefore it can be used to measure the plasma potential inside fusion devices, especially in regions with complex magnetic field topology. Experimental results are presented and compared with Ball-Pen probe measurements taken under identical conditions. We have observed that the floating potential of the Bunker probe is indeed little affected by its orientation with the magnetic field for angles ranging from 90° to 30°, in contrast to the Ball-Pen probe whose floating potential decreases towards that of a Langmuir probe if not properly aligned with the magnetic field.

A statistical survey of reconnection exhausts in the solar wind based on the Riemannian decay of current sheets

AbstractWe present a statistical study of the magnetic reconnection exhausts in solar wind. Observational data are compared with the analytical model based on the Riemann analysis of tangential discontinuity decay forced by finite X‐line reconnection of skewed magnetic fields. Statistical analysis is based on 51 events of the solar wind reconnection listed in Phan et al. (2009). The best agreement of the observed and analytically predicted values is achieved for the rotational angle of the tangential magnetic field component with correlation coefficient reaching the value of 0.97. The lowest correlation coefficient of 0.87 is obtained for the exhaust flow plasma temperature. It is found that proton temperature increases at the exhaust boundary while electron temperature stays unchanged. This may indicate that heating and acceleration processes operate on the proton scale. Exhaust boundaries are identified as tangential discontinuities, except one particular event, where Alfvén discontinuity and slow shock were detected instead. Hence, the impulsive reconnection may be supposed in that case rather than steady state one. Exhaust regions extending up to 690RE, registered in some observations, do not necessarily imply X‐lines of similar length. They could be explained alternatively by reconnection of skewed magnetic fields. The numerical modeling of the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) propagating in the solar wind reveals that the resistance force, impeding the ICME motion, may be reduced significantly (three times in our simulations) by means of the magnetic reconnection at the leading edge. Thus, reconnection may substantially increase ICME velocity and travel distance.

Magnetic field generation, Weibel-mediated collisionless shocks, and magnetic reconnection in colliding laser-produced plasmas

AbstractColliding plasmas are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments and allow conversion of kinetic energy into heat and, most importantly, the acceleration of particles to extremely high energies to form the cosmic ray spectrum. In collisionless astrophysical plasmas, kinetic plasma processes govern the interaction and particle acceleration processes, including shock formation, self-generation of magnetic fields by kinetic plasma instabilities, and magnetic field compression and reconnection. How each of these contribute to the observed spectra of cosmic rays is not fully understood, in particular both shock acceleration processes and magnetic reconnection have been proposed. We will review recent results of laboratory astrophysics experiments conducted at high-power, inertial-fusion-class laser facilities, which have uncovered significant results relevant to these processes. Recent experiments have now observed the long-sought Weibel instability between two interpenetrating high temperature plasma plumes, which has been proposed to generate the magnetic field necessary for shock formation in unmagnetized regimes. Secondly, magnetic reconnection has been studied in systems of colliding plasmas using either self-generated magnetic fields or externally applied magnetic fields, and show extremely fast reconnection rates, indicating fast destruction of magnetic energy and further possibilities to accelerate particles. Finally, we highlight kinetic plasma simulations, which have proven to be essential tools in the design and interpretation of these experiments.

Slowing of Magnetic Reconnection Concurrent with Weakening Plasma Inflows and Increasing Collisionality in Strongly Driven Laser-Plasma Experiments.

An evolution of magnetic reconnection behavior, from fast jets to the slowing of reconnection and the establishment of a stable current sheet, has been observed in strongly driven, β≲20 laser-produced plasma experiments. This process has been inferred to occur alongside a slowing of plasma inflows carrying the oppositely directed magnetic fields as well as the evolution of plasma conditions from collisionless to collisional. High-resolution proton radiography has revealed unprecedented detail of the forced interaction of magnetic fields and super-Alfvénic electron jets (V_{jet}∼20V_{A}) ejected from the reconnection region, indicating that two-fluid or collisionless magnetic reconnection occurs early in time. The absence of jets and the persistence of strong, stable magnetic fields at late times indicates that the reconnection process slows down, while plasma flows stagnate and plasma conditions evolve to a cooler, denser, more collisional state. These results demonstrate that powerful initial plasma flows are not sufficient to force a complete reconnection of magnetic fields, even in the strongly driven regime.

Ubiquity of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves at Earth's magnetopause.

Magnetic reconnection is believed to be the dominant process by which solar wind plasma enters the magnetosphere. However, for periods of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) reconnection is less likely at the dayside magnetopause, and Kelvin–Helmholtz waves (KHWs) may be important agents for plasma entry and for the excitation of ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves. The relative importance of KHWs is controversial because no statistical data on their occurrence frequency exist. Here we survey 7 years of in situ data from the NASA THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macro scale Interactions during Substorms) mission and find that KHWs occur at the magnetopause ∼19% of the time. The rate increases with solar wind speed, Alfven Mach number and number density, but is mostly independent of IMF magnitude. KHWs may thus be more important for plasma transport across the magnetopause than previously thought, and frequently drive magnetospheric ULF waves.

LONG-LASTING BLACK HOLE JETS IN SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

Whether a short gamma-ray burst (GRB) is caused by a black hole (BH) or a neutron star (NS) after the merger of a NS binary is a crucial problem. We propose a BH model that explains short GRBs with long-lasting activities such as extended emission and plateau emission up to $\sim10000$ s. To extract the BH rotational energy, the topological evolution of the magnetic field should accompany the mass ejection, mass fallback, and magnetic field reconnection. The observations suggest the magnetic field decay from $\sim10^{14}$ G to $\sim10^{13} - 10^{11}$ G at the BH, bounded below by the pre-merger strength and kept constant while the luminosity is constant, and the fallback mass of $\sim10^{-4} - 10^{-2} M_{\odot}$, comparable to the ejecta mass implied by the macronova (or kilonova) in GRB 130603B. The BH model has implications for gravitational waves and the equation of state of NS matter.