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Role of ion kinetic physics in the interaction of magnetic flux ropes

Author(s): Stanier, A; Daughton, W; Chacón, L; Karimabadi, H; Ng, J; et al

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Abstract: © 2015 American Physical Society.To explain many natural magnetized plasma phenomena, it is crucial to understand how rates of collisionless magnetic reconnection scale in large magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) scale systems. Simulations of isolated current sheets conclude such rates are independent of system size and can be reproduced by the Hall-MHD model, but neglect sheet formation and coupling to MHD scales. Here, it is shown for the problem of flux-rope merging, which includes this formation and coupling, that the Hall-MHD model fails to reproduce the kinetic results. The minimum sufficient model must retain ion kinetic effects, which set the ion diffusion region geometry and give time-averaged rates that reduce significantly with system size, leading to different global evolution in large systems.
Publication Date: 21-Oct-2015
Electronic Publication Date: 15-Oct-2015
Citation: Stanier, A, Daughton, W, Chacón, L, Karimabadi, H, Ng, J, Huang, YM, Hakim, A, Bhattacharjee, A. (2015). Role of ion kinetic physics in the interaction of magnetic flux ropes. Physical Review Letters, 115 (17), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.175004
DOI: doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.115.175004
ISSN: 0031-9007
EISSN: 1079-7114
Pages: 175004-1 to 175004-5
Type of Material: Journal Article
Journal/Proceeding Title: Physical Review Letters
Version: Final published version. Article is made available in OAR by the publisher's permission or policy.



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