Reconnection from a turbulence perspective
File(s)1911.06219v2.pdf (7.49 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The spectral properties associated with laminar, anti-parallel reconnection are examined using a 2.5D kinetic particle in cell 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 the fact 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° to about 48° (nearly isotropic) by the end of the simulation. The distribution of energy over length scales is further analyzed by dividing the domain into spatial subregions and employing structure functions.
Date Issued
2020-04-01
Date Acceptance
2020-03-01
Citation
Physics of Plasmas, 2020, 27 (4), pp.1-10
ISSN
1070-664X
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Start Page
1
End Page
10
Journal / Book Title
Physics of Plasmas
Volume
27
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Author(s).
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000526858400001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ST/N000692/1
ST/S000364/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Physics
SOLAR-WIND TURBULENCE
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
CASCADE
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-04-09