Electromagnetic Fluctuations during Fast Reconnection in a Laboratory Plasma

Ji, Hantao ; Terry, Stephen ; Yamada, Masaaki ; Kulsrud, Russell ; Kuritsyn, Aleksey ; Ren, Yang

Princeton University. Plasma Physics Laboratory.

关键词: Dimensions;    Magnetic Fields;    70 Plasma Physics And Fusion Technology;    Phase Velocity;    Whistler Waves;   

DOI  :  10.2172/811969
RP-ID  :  PPPL-3784
RP-ID  :  AC02-76CH03073
RP-ID  :  811969

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Clear evidence for a positive correlation is established between the magnitude of magnetic fluctuations in the lower-hybrid frequency range and enhancement of reconnection rates in a well-controlled laboratory plasma. The fluctuations belong to the right-hand polarized whistler wave branch, propagating obliquely to the reconnecting magnetic field, with a phase velocity comparable to the relative drift velocity between electrons and ions. The short coherence length and large variation along the propagation direction indicate their strongly nonlinear nature in three dimensions.