Numerical Simulations of Magnetic Reconnection in an Asymmetric Current Sheet

Previous particle-in-cell simulations have shown that electron phase-space holes (electron holes), where the associated parallel electric held has a bipolar structure, exist near the four separatrices in anti-parallel magnetic reconnection. By performing two-dimensional (2-D) particle-in-cell (PIC)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chinese physics letters 2013-12, Vol.30 (12), p.125202-1-125202-4
Main Authors: WANG, Pei-Ran, HUANG, Can, LU, Quan-Ming, WANG, Rong-Sheng, WANG, Shui
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asymmetry
Computer simulation
Current sheets
Density
High speed
Instability
Particle in cell technique
Stability
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Summary:Previous particle-in-cell simulations have shown that electron phase-space holes (electron holes), where the associated parallel electric held has a bipolar structure, exist near the four separatrices in anti-parallel magnetic reconnection. By performing two-dimensional (2-D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, here we investigate magnetic reconnection in an asymmetric current sheet, with emphasis on the parallel electric held near the separatrices. Compared with magnetic reconnection in a symmetric current sheet, it is found that the parallel electric held with a bipolar structure only exists around the separatrices in the upper region with a lower density (upper separatrices). Such a bipolar structure of the parallel electric held is considered to be associated with electron holes resulting from the nonlinear evolution of the electron beam instability excited by the high-speed electron how formed a fter their a ccelera tion around the X line. The disappearance of the parallel electric held around the separatrices in the lower region with a higher density (lower separatrices) may be due to the transverse instability, which is unstable in a weak magnetized plasma.
ISSN:0256-307X
1741-3540
DOI:10.1088/0256-307X/30/12/125202