Collisionless magnetic reconnection in a two dimensional plasma is analyzed, using a two-fluid model where electron mass and pressure effects are important. Numerical simulations show the formation of current and vorticity layers along two branches crossing at the stagnation point of the plasma flow. These structures are interpreted on the basis of the Hamiltonian Casimirs (conserved fields) of the fluid plasma model.

• Received 22 August 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.4430