Generation of Turbulence in Colliding Reconnection Jets

Pucci, Francesco; Matthaeus, W. H.; Chasapis, A.; Servidio, S.; Sorriso‐Valvo, L.; Olshevsky, Vyacheslav; Newman, D. L.; Goldman, M. V.; Lapenta, Giovanni

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aadd0a

Cited by 33 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…We solve the 2.5D magnetic reconnection problem numerically using the semi-implicit Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code 33 iPIC3D in which implicit moment method 34 is implemented. The code iPIC3D was utilized previously in application to such problems as magnetic reconnection studies, 14,35,36 reconnection jet fronts, [37][38][39][40] and other studies. 41,42 The code is capable of using realistic ion-to-electron mass ratio m i =m e , but a fixed ratio of m i =m e ¼ 256 is used in the present paper to reduce computational costs.…”

Section: Pic Simulations and Normalizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inner and outer electron diffusion region of antiparallel collisionless reconnection: Density dependence

et al. 2019

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We study inflow density dependence of substructures within electron diffusion region (EDR) of collisionless symmetric magnetic reconnection. We perform a set of 2.5D particle-in-cell simulations which start from a Harris current layer with a uniform background density n b. A scan of n b ranging from 0:02 n 0 to 2 n 0 of the peak current layer density (n 0) is studied keeping other plasma parameters the same. Various quantities measuring reconnection rate, EDR spatial scales, and characteristic velocities are introduced. We analyze EDR properties during quasisteady stage when the EDR length measures saturate. Consistent with past kinetic simulations, electrons are heated parallel to the B field in the inflow region. The presence of the strong parallel anisotropy acts twofold: (1) electron pressure anisotropy drift gets important at the EDR upstream edge in addition to the E Â B drift speed and (2) the pressure anisotropy term Àr Á P ðeÞ =ðneÞ modifies the force balance there. We find that the width of the EDR demagnetization region and EDR current are proportional to the electron inertial length $d e and $d e n 0:22 b , respectively. Magnetic reconnection is fast with a rate of $0:1 but depends weakly on density as $n À1=8 b. Such reconnection rate proxies as EDR geometrical aspect or the inflow-to-outflow electron velocity ratio are shown to have different density trends, making electric field the only reliable measure of the reconnection rate.

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Section: Pic Simulations and Normalizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inner and outer electron diffusion region of antiparallel collisionless reconnection: Density dependence

et al. 2019

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“…On the other hand, the role of turbulence associated with reconnection has received significant scrutiny. Reconnection is known to generate several secondary instabilities (e.g., 7,12,25,49 and references therein) which themselves have been shown to generate energy spectra with power laws consistent with a turbulent cascade 26,31,37 . Turbulent fluctuations in the plasma flowing into the reconnection region have been found to affect the process of reconnection 30 , and even amplify the reconnection rate 23 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconnection from a turbulence perspective

et al. 2020

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The spectral properties associated with laminar, anti-parallel reconnection are examined using a 2.5D kinetic particle in cell (PIC) simulation. Both the reconnection rate and the energy spectrum exhibit three distinct phases: an initiation phase where the reconnection rate grows, a quasi-steady phase, and a declining phase where both the reconnection rate and the energy spectrum decrease. During the steady phase, the energy spectrum exhibits approximately a double power law behavior, with a slope near -5/3 at wave numbers smaller than the inverse ion inertial length, and a slope steeper than -8/3 for larger wave numbers up to the inverse electron inertial length.This behavior is consistent with a Kolmogorov energy cascade and implies that laminar reconnection may fundamentally be an energy cascade process. Consistent with this idea is that the reconnection rate exhibits a rough correlation with the energy spectrum at wave numbers near the inverse ion inertial length. The 2D spectrum is strongly anisotropic with most energy associated with the wave vector direction normal to the current sheet. Reconnection acts to isotropize the energy spectrum, reducing the Shebalin angle from an initial value of 70 degrees to about 48 degrees (nearly isotropic) by the end of the simulation.

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“…With formation, growth, and coalescence of numerous secondary plasmoids with scales varying from electron and ion kinetic scales to macroscopic scales (e.g., Hietala et al, 2014;Slavin et al, 2003;Teh et al, 2010Teh et al, , 2011Wang et al, 2010;Wang, Lu, Nakamura, et al, 2016), the reconnection diffusion region may become turbulent with energy dissipations on different spatial and temporal scales Fu, Cao, et al, 2013;Fu et al, 2017;Huang et al, 2017;Karimabadi et al, 2014;Pucci et al, 2018). This underlines the need for further studies of reconnection with different current sheet density and temperature profiles using more realistic mass ratios, boundary conditions, and magnetic field configurations.…”

Section: Geophysical Research Lettersmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of Cross‐Sheet Density and Temperature Inhomogeneities on Magnetotail Reconnection

Artemyev

Angelopoulos

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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Properties of magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetotail are determined by prereconnection current sheet characteristics. Although spacecraft observations have revealed that the spatial profiles of two important parameters, density and temperature, across the prereconnection magnetotail current sheet are inhomogeneous, the effects of the inhomogeneities on reconnection processes have received insufficient attention. Using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorm (THEMIS) and Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) observations, we show that the inhomogeneities are ubiquitous throughout the magnetotail. Using particle‐in‐cell simulations, we demonstrate that strong density inhomogeneity increases magnetotail reconnection rate, and strong temperature inhomogeneity further increases reconnection outflow speed (although reconnection rate does not change significantly). Overall, these inhomogeneities expedite energy conversion efficiency and secondary plasmoid formation during reconnection. As the current sheet density and temperature characteristics vary considerably with geocentric distance and time under different geospace conditions, a large variety of reconnection and postreconnection dynamics results from this dependence.

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Generation of Turbulence in Colliding Reconnection Jets

Cited by 33 publications

References 69 publications

Inner and outer electron diffusion region of antiparallel collisionless reconnection: Density dependence

Inner and outer electron diffusion region of antiparallel collisionless reconnection: Density dependence

Reconnection from a turbulence perspective

Effects of Cross‐Sheet Density and Temperature Inhomogeneities on Magnetotail Reconnection

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