Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with a non-uniform guide field

Fiona Wilson; Thomas Neukirch; Michael Hesse; Michael G. Harrison; Craig R. Stark

doi:10.1063/1.4942939

Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with a non-uniform guide field

Fiona Wilson, Thomas Neukirch, Michael Hesse, Michael G. Harrison, Craig R. Stark

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Abstract

Results are presented of a first study of collisionless magnetic reconnection starting from a recently found exact nonlinear force-free Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium. The initial state has a Harris sheet magnetic field profile in one direction and a non-uniform guide field in a second direction, resulting in a spatially constant magnetic field strength as well as a constant initial plasma density and plasma pressure. It is found that the reconnection process initially resembles guide field reconnection, but that a gradual transition to anti-parallel reconnection happens as the system evolves. The time evolution of a number of plasma parameters is investigated, and the results are compared with simulations starting from a Harris sheet equilibrium and a Harris sheet plus constant guide field equilibrium.

Original language	English
Article number	032302
Pages (from-to)	1-11
Number of pages	11
Journal	Physics of Plasmas
Volume	23
Early online date	2 Mar 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4942939
Publication status	Published - Mar 2016

Keywords

Astrophysics - solar and stellar astrophysics
Physics - plasma physics

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10.1063/1.4942939Licence: CC BY

Wilson_2016_PhysPlasmas_032302_CCBY
© 2016 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Final published version, 10.4 MBLicence: CC BY

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015arXiv151207844W

Plasma Theory: Solar and Magnetospheric Plasma Theory
Hood, A. W. (PI), Mackay, D. H. (CoI), Neukirch, T. (CoI), Parnell, C. E. (CoI), Priest, E. (CoI), Archontis, V. (Researcher), Cargill, P. (Researcher), De Moortel, I. (Researcher) & Wright, A. N. (Researcher)
Science & Technology Facilities Council
1/04/13 → 31/03/16
Project: Standard
EU FP7 SPACE Call SHOCK: EU FP7 SPACE Call SHOCK
Neukirch, T. (PI)
European Commission
1/01/12 → 31/12/15
Project: Standard
Equilibrium and Dynamics of Collision: Equilibrium amd Dynamics of Collisionless Current Sheets
Neukirch, T. (PI)
The Leverhulme Trust
1/06/10 → 28/02/14
Project: Standard

Thomas Neukirch
- tn3st-andrews.acuk
- Applied Mathematics - Professor
Person: Academic

Cite this

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title = "Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with a non-uniform guide field",

abstract = "Results are presented of a first study of collisionless magnetic reconnection starting from a recently found exact nonlinear force-free Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium. The initial state has a Harris sheet magnetic field profile in one direction and a non-uniform guide field in a second direction, resulting in a spatially constant magnetic field strength as well as a constant initial plasma density and plasma pressure. It is found that the reconnection process initially resembles guide field reconnection, but that a gradual transition to anti-parallel reconnection happens as the system evolves. The time evolution of a number of plasma parameters is investigated, and the results are compared with simulations starting from a Harris sheet equilibrium and a Harris sheet plus constant guide field equilibrium.",

keywords = "Astrophysics - solar and stellar astrophysics, Physics - plasma physics",

author = "Fiona Wilson and Thomas Neukirch and Michael Hesse and Harrison, {Michael G.} and Stark, {Craig R.}",

year = "2016",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1063/1.4942939",

language = "English",

volume = "23",

pages = "1--11",

journal = "Physics of Plasmas",

issn = "1070-664X",

publisher = "American Institute of Physics",

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T1 - Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with a non-uniform guide field

AU - Wilson, Fiona

AU - Neukirch, Thomas

AU - Hesse, Michael

AU - Harrison, Michael G.

AU - Stark, Craig R.

PY - 2016/3

Y1 - 2016/3

N2 - Results are presented of a first study of collisionless magnetic reconnection starting from a recently found exact nonlinear force-free Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium. The initial state has a Harris sheet magnetic field profile in one direction and a non-uniform guide field in a second direction, resulting in a spatially constant magnetic field strength as well as a constant initial plasma density and plasma pressure. It is found that the reconnection process initially resembles guide field reconnection, but that a gradual transition to anti-parallel reconnection happens as the system evolves. The time evolution of a number of plasma parameters is investigated, and the results are compared with simulations starting from a Harris sheet equilibrium and a Harris sheet plus constant guide field equilibrium.

AB - Results are presented of a first study of collisionless magnetic reconnection starting from a recently found exact nonlinear force-free Vlasov-Maxwell equilibrium. The initial state has a Harris sheet magnetic field profile in one direction and a non-uniform guide field in a second direction, resulting in a spatially constant magnetic field strength as well as a constant initial plasma density and plasma pressure. It is found that the reconnection process initially resembles guide field reconnection, but that a gradual transition to anti-parallel reconnection happens as the system evolves. The time evolution of a number of plasma parameters is investigated, and the results are compared with simulations starting from a Harris sheet equilibrium and a Harris sheet plus constant guide field equilibrium.

KW - Astrophysics - solar and stellar astrophysics

KW - Physics - plasma physics

U2 - 10.1063/1.4942939

DO - 10.1063/1.4942939

M3 - Article

SN - 1070-664X

VL - 23

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - Physics of Plasmas

JF - Physics of Plasmas

M1 - 032302

ER -

Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with a non-uniform guide field

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Keywords

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Projects

Plasma Theory: Solar and Magnetospheric Plasma Theory

EU FP7 SPACE Call SHOCK: EU FP7 SPACE Call SHOCK

Equilibrium and Dynamics of Collision: Equilibrium amd Dynamics of Collisionless Current Sheets

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Thomas Neukirch

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