HR: 1340h
AN: SM23A-0410    [Abstracts]
TI: The Structure of the Separatix in Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection
AU: * Daughton, W
EM: william-daughton@uiowa.edu
AF: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242
AU: Scudder, J
EM: jack-scudder@uiowa.edu
AF: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242
AU: Karimabadi, H
EM: homa@san.rr.com
AF: University of California San Diego, 777 South Highway 101, Solana Beach, CA 92075
AB: Recent kinetic simulations of magnetic reconnection indicate the formation of intense electrostatic fields that start at the x-point and form sheet-like structures that extend outward for large distances along the separatrices. In the presence of a significant guide field, the characteristic thickness of these layers is on the order of the local electron gyroradius and there are significant deviations from charge neutrality within the layer. The resulting electrostatic fields are primarily perpendicular and may exceed the reconnection electric field by a factor of 20. A serious impediment to understanding the possible role of these structures is the use of periodic boundary conditions typically employed in kinetic simulations. In particular, the strong outward electron flow generated along one leg of a separatrix is allowed to circulate back through the system along the opposite side. This recirculation may artificially enhance beam driven instabilities and/or strongly modify the structure of the separatrix. In this work, we describe initial efforts to employ open boundary conditions in 2D fully kinetic PIC simulations, with the goal of better understanding the structure and role of the separatrix in collisionless magnetic reconnection.
DE: 2723 Magnetic reconnection (7526, 7835)
DE: 7526 Magnetic reconnection (2723, 7835)
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005