HR: 14:50h
AN: SH32B-05    [PDF]
TI: Comparison of Laboratory Measurement of Electromagnetic Waves during Reconnection with Theory, Simulations and Space Observations
AU: * Ji, H
EM: hji@princeton.edu
AF: Princton Plasma Physics Laboratory, P.O. Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08536 United States
AU: Ren, Y
AF: Princton Plasma Physics Laboratory, P.O. Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08536 United States
AU: Kulsrud, R
AF: Princton Plasma Physics Laboratory, P.O. Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08536 United States
AU: Terry, S
AF: Princton Plasma Physics Laboratory, P.O. Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08536 United States
AU: Yamada, M
AF: Princton Plasma Physics Laboratory, P.O. Box 451, Princeton, NJ 08536 United States
AB: Magnetic reconnection plays an important role in determining the topology of magnetic fields in solar flares, solar wind interactions with Earth magnetosphere, and relaxation processes in laboratory plasmas. A major puzzle of magnetic reconnection concerns why the observed reconnection rates are much faster than predictions by classical theories such as the Sweet-Parker model. Recently new measurements in MRX (Magnetic Reconnection Experiment) have revealed presence of strong electromagnetic waves during fast reconnection in the low-collisionality regime. In this paper, the measured wave characteristics are compared to linear theories based on either simple models (e.g., local and two-fluid models) or more complete models (e.g., global and full kinetic models). Initial assessments suggest that the observed waves are consistent with the so-called Modified Two-Stream Instability driven by large drift speeds compared to the Alfven speed in high-beta plasmas. Comparisons with 3D nonlinear simulations as well as recent measurements by space satellites will be presented. This work is supported by DOE, NASA, and NSF.
UR: http://mrx.pppl.gov
DE: 7831 Laboratory studies
DE: 7835 Magnetic reconnection
DE: 7867 Wave/particle interactions
SC: SPA - Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting