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| Titel |
Kinetic features of magnetic reconnection in a plasmoid chain |
| VerfasserIn |
S. Markidis, P. Henri, G. Lapenta, M. V. Goldman, D. Newman, S. Eriksson |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2012
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 14 (2012) |
| Datensatznummer |
250063964
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The kinetic features of plasmoid chain formation and evolution are investigated by two
dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations. Magnetic reconnection is initiated in multiple X
points by the tearing instability. Plasmoids form and grow in size by continuously
coalescing. Each chain plasmoid exhibits a strong out-of plane core magnetic field and an
out-of-plane electron current that drives the coalescing process. The disappearance of
the X points in the coalescence process are due to anti-reconnection, a magnetic
reconnection where the plasma inflow and outflow are reversed with respect to the original
reconnection flow pattern. Anti-reconnection is characterized by the Hall magnetic field
quadrupole signature. Intense electric fields develop mainly in-plane normally to the
separatrices and drive the ion dynamics in the plasmoids. Several bipolar electric
field structures are localized along the separatrices. The analysis of the electron
distribution function and phase space reveals the presence of counter-streaming
electron beams and phase space electron holes along the reconnection separatrices. |
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