Experimental Verification of the Role of Electron Pressure in Fast Magnetic Reconnection with a Guide Field

W. Fox, F. Sciortino, A. v. Stechow, J. Jara-Almonte, J. Yoo, H. Ji, and M. Yamada
Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 125002 – Published 21 March 2017

Abstract

We report detailed laboratory observations of the structure of a reconnection current sheet in a two-fluid plasma regime with a guide magnetic field. We observe and quantitatively analyze the quadrupolar electron pressure variation in the ion-diffusion region, as originally predicted by extended magnetohydrodynamics simulations. The projection of the electron pressure gradient parallel to the magnetic field contributes significantly to balancing the parallel electric field, and the resulting cross-field electron jets in the reconnection layer are diamagnetic in origin. These results demonstrate how parallel and perpendicular force balance are coupled in guide field reconnection and confirm basic theoretical models of the importance of electron pressure gradients for obtaining fast magnetic reconnection.

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  • Received 22 August 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.125002

© 2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Plasma Physics

Authors & Affiliations

W. Fox1,*, F. Sciortino2,†, A. v. Stechow3, J. Jara-Almonte1, J. Yoo1, H. Ji1, and M. Yamada1

  • 1Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, USA
  • 2Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2BW, United Kingdom
  • 3Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, 17491 Greifswald, Germany

  • *wfox@pppl.gov
  • Present address: Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.

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Issue

Vol. 118, Iss. 12 — 24 March 2017

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