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

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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

Access to Document

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. (PI), Mackay, D. (CoI), Neukirch, T. (CoI), Parnell, C. (CoI), Priest, E. (CoI), Archontis, V. (Researcher), Cargill, P. (Researcher), De Moortel, I. (Researcher) & Wright, A. (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 Joint Research Centre
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
- Solar and Magnetospheric Theory Group
Person: Academic

Cite this

@article{780583986a1a4b71b05f98d5a1759f9f,

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",

}

TY - JOUR

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

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

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

Profiles

Thomas Neukirch

Cite this