Quantitative Study Of Guide Field Effects on Hall Reconnection In A Laboratory Plasma

Tharp, T. D. ; Yamada, M. ; Ji, H. ; Lawrence, E. ; Dorfman, S. ; Myers, C. ; Yoo, J.

关键词: Magnetic Reconnection;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1063118
RP-ID  :  PPPL-4753
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1063118

学科分类：原子、分子光学和等离子物理

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

The effect of guide field on magnetic reconnection is quantitatively studied by systematically varying an applied guide field in the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX). The quadrupole field, a signature of two-fluid reconnection at zero guide field, is significantly altered by a finite guide field. It is shown that the reconnection rate is significantly reduced with increasing guide field, and this dependence is explained by a combination of local and global physics: locally, the in-plane Hall currents are reduced, while globally guide field compression produces an increased pressure both within and downstream of the reconnection region. __________________________________________________