2004/07/11 by N. F. Loureiro, Nuno Loureiro, Loureiro, N. F. +9
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Fiber Optic Sensors #FOS: Physical sciences #Photonic and Optical Devices #Plasma Physics (physics.plasm-ph) #Semiconductor Lasers and Optical Devices #Space Physics (physics.space-ph) #physics.plasm-ph #physics.space-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0407047
latex, 4 pages, 8 figures; Paper 4-208, Proceedings of the 31st EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, London 28 June - 2 July 2004
arxiv created 2004/07/11 · openalex publication_date 2004/07/11 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This is a brief account of our numerical study of the tearing mode reconnection. We demonstrate two main points. First, we show that, given sufficiently small resistivity, the Rutherford regime always exists; larger values of Delta' require smaller values of resistivity. Rutherford's negligible-inertia assumption is validated and the asymptotically linear dependence of the time derivative of the island width on the resistivity and Delta' is confirmed. Second, we find that, at large Delta', the Rutherford regime is followed by a nonlinear stage of fast growth linked to X-point collapse and formation of a current sheet. This causes the reconnection to become Sweet-Parke (SP) like. The signature resistivity1/2 scaling of the effective island growth rate is, indeed, found in this nonlinear stage. The SP stage culminates in the saturation of the mode, which can, thus, be achieved much faster than via Rutherford regime.