Fast Magnetic Reconnection in Laser-Produced Plasma Bubbles

W. Fox, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski
Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 215003 – Published 27 May 2011

Abstract

Recent experiments have observed magnetic reconnection in high-energy-density, laser-produced plasma bubbles, with reconnection rates observed to be much higher than can be explained by classical theory. Based on fully kinetic particle simulations we find that fast reconnection in these strongly driven systems can be explained by magnetic flux pileup at the shoulder of the current sheet and subsequent fast reconnection via two-fluid, collisionless mechanisms. In the strong drive regime with two-fluid effects, we find that the ultimate reconnection time is insensitive to the nominal system Alfvén time.

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  • Received 10 September 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.215003

© 2011 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

W. Fox, A. Bhattacharjee, and K. Germaschewski

  • Center for Integrated Computation and Analysis of Reconnection and Turbulence, and Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA

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Vol. 106, Iss. 21 — 27 May 2011

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