2015/04/06 by Nicholas A. Murphy, V. S. Lukin, Vyacheslav S. Lukin · 40 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics #Atomic physics #Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies #Ion #Ionization #Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics #Magnetic reconnection #Nuclear physics #Physics #Plasma #Quantum mechanics #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #astro-ph.SR #physics.plasm-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/805/2/134
published in The Astrophysical Journal 805(2), 134 (IOP Publishing) · Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal
arxiv created 2015/04/06 · openalex publication_date 2015/05/28 · arxiv updated 2015/06/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Realistic models of magnetic reconnection in the solar chromosphere must take into account that the plasma is partially ionized and that plasma conditions within any two magnetic flux bundles undergoing reconnection may not be the same. Asymmetric reconnection in the chromosphere may occur when newly emerged flux interacts with pre-existing, overlying flux. We present 2.5D simulations of asymmetric reconnection in weakly ionized, reacting plasmas where the magnetic field strengths, ion and neutral densities, and temperatures are different in each upstream region. The plasma and neutral components are evolved separately to allow non-equilibrium ionization. As in previous simulations of chromospheric reconnection, the current sheet thins to the scale of the neutral–ion mean free path and the ion and neutral outflows are strongly coupled. However, the ion and neutral inflows are asymmetrically decoupled. In cases with magnetic asymmetry, a net flow of neutrals through the current sheet from the weak-field (high-density) upstream region into the strong-field upstream region results from a neutral pressure gradient. Consequently, neutrals dragged along with the outflow are more likely to originate from the weak-field region. The Hall effect leads to the development of a characteristic quadrupole magnetic field modified by asymmetry, but the X-point geometry expected during Hall reconnection does not occur. All simulations show the development of plasmoids after an initial laminar phase.