An experimental platform for pulsed-power driven magnetic reconnection
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We describe a versatile pulsed-power driven platform for magnetic reconnection experiments, based on the exploding wire arrays driven in parallel [Suttle et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 225001 (2016)]. This platform produces inherently magnetised plasma flows for the duration of the generator current pulse (250 ns), resulting in a long-lasting reconnection layer. The layer exists for long enough to allow the evolution of complex processes such as plasmoid formation and movement to be diagnosed by a suite of high spatial and temporal resolution laser-based diagnostics. We can access a wide range of magnetic reconnection regimes by changing the wire material or moving the electrodes inside the wire arrays. We present results with aluminium and carbon wires, in which the parameters of the inflows and the layer that forms are significantly different. By moving the electrodes inside the wire arrays, we change how strongly the inflows are driven. This enables us to study both symmetric reconnection in a range of different regimes and asymmetric reconnection.
Date Issued
2018-03-09
Date Acceptance
2018-02-22
Citation
Physics of Plasmas, 2018, 25
ISSN
1070-664X
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Journal / Book Title
Physics of Plasmas
Volume
25
Copyright Statement
© 2018 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/)
Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Sponsor
U.S Department of Energy
U.S Department of Energy
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
U.S Department of Energy
Identifier
http://arxiv.org/abs/1711.06534v2
Grant Number
415942-G
675350-9958
EP/N013379/1
416729-G
Subjects
physics.plasm-ph
physics.plasm-ph
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
055703