Abstract
This article is an introduction to Parker’s idea that electric current sheets form spontaneously in astrophysical magnetic fields under the condition of high electrical conductivity. Upon formation, the current sheets will collapse to such small widths as to result in resistive reconnection of magnetic fields and heating, despite the very large but finite electrical conductivity. This mechanism is an attractive explanation of the ubiquitous association between magnetic fields and heated plasmas in many astrophysical situations. The hydromagnetic process of this mechanism is illustrated, using a well-studied two-dimensional Cartesian model involving a quadrupolar magnetic field with or without a magnetic null point. The purpose of this illustration is to acquaint the reader with the basic physics in terms of elementary mathematical results and familiar properties which are possible to obtain for this simple model. The general and more complicated processes in three-dimensional magnetic fields is treated in Parker’s latest (1994) monograph on this subject.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aly, J.J. (1987) in Proc. Workshop Interstellar Magnetic Fields. ed. R. Beck, R. Graven p. 240, Springer-Verlag, New York.
Aly J.J and Amari T (1989) in Astron. Astrophys, in 221, 287
Antiochos, S.K. (1987) in Astrophys, J. 312, 886
Charbonneau P. and Low, B.C. (1991) in in Cool Stars, Stellar Systems and the Sun, ed, M.S. Giampapa and J.A. Bookbinder, p. 531, Astron. Soc. Pacific. Sari Francisco.
Hahm, T.S. and Kulsrud, R.M (1985) in Phys. Fluids 28, 2412
Hu, Y.Q. and Low, B.C. (1982) in Sol. Phys. 81, 107.
Hu Y.Q. Wang JX. Ai G. and Nie, Y.P. (1995) in Sol. Phys. 159. 251
Karpen J T. Antiochos S.K. and DeVores, C R. (1990) in Astrophys. J. 356 L67.
Low, B C, (1982) in Rev Geophys. Space Sci. 20, 145.
Low, B C (1987) in Asrophys. J. 323, 358.
Low, B.C. (1989) in Astrophys J. 340, 558.
Low, B.C. (1990) in Ann Rev. Astron. Asrophys. 28, 491.
Low, B.C. (1991) in Astrophys J. 381, 295.
Low, B.C. (1992) in Astron. Astrophys. 253, 311.
Low, B C and Hu, Y.Q. (1983) in Sol. Phys. 84, 83.
Low, B.C and Wolfson, R. (1988) in Astrophys. J., 324, 574.
Mikic, Z., Schnack, D.D., and Van Hoven, G. (1989) in Astrophys J., 338, 418.
Moffatt, H K (1978) in in Advances in Turbulence, ed. G. Comte-Belief, J Meathie, 228 Springer Verlag, New York.
Otani. N F and Strains, H.R. (1988), in Astrophys. J., 325, 468
Parker, E.N (1972) in Astrophys. J., 174, 499.
Parker, E.N (1979) Cosmical Magnetic Fields, Oxford University presss, Oxford.
Parker, E.N (1983) in Astrophys. J. 264, 635.
Parker, E N (1987) in Astrophys. J. 318, 876.
Parker. E N (1989a) in Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 45, 169
Parker, E.N (1989b) in Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 46, 105
Parker E. N (1990a) in Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 52, 183
Parker E.N (1990b) in Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 53, 43
Parker. E N (1991) in Phys. Fluids 133, 2652.
Parker, E.N (1994) in Spontaneous Current Sheets in Magnetic Field, Oxford University Press, Oxford
Priest, E.R. and Raadu, M.A. (1975) in Sol. Phys. 43, 177.
Rosner, R. and Knoblock, E. (1982) in Astrophys. J. 262, 349.
Sneyd, A.D (1993) in Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn. 70, 195.
Strauss, H.R and Otani, N.F. (1988) in Astrophys. J. 326, 418.
Sweet, P.A. (1969) in Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 7, 149.
Syrovatskii, S.I (1981) in Ann. Rev Astron. Astrophys, 19, 163.
Titov, V.S. (1992) in Sol. Phys. 139, 401.
Tsinganos K.C., Distler J., and Rosner, R. (1984) in Astrophys. J. 278 409
Vainshtem, S.I and Parker, E.N. (1986) in Astrophys. J. 304, 821
van Ballegooijen, A.A (1985) in Astrophys. J. 298, 421.
van Ballegooijen, A.A. (1986) in Astrophys. J. 311, 1001
Vekstein, G.E. and Priest, E.R. (1992) in Astrophys. J. 384, 333.
Vekstein, G.E, and Priest, E.R. (1993) in Sol. Phys. 146, 119.
Vekstein, G., Priest, E.R. and Amari, T. (1991) in Astron. Astrophys. 243, 492.
Wolfson, R. (1989) in Astrophys. J., 344, 471.
Zweibel, E.G. and Proctor, M.R.E. (1990) in in Topological Fluid Mechanics, ed. H.K. Moffat. p. 187, Cambridge University Press. Cambridge
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Low, B.C. (1996). The Spontaneous Formation of Current-Sheets in Astrophysical Magnetic Fields. In: Tsinganos, K.C. (eds) Solar and Astrophysical Magnetohydrodynamic Flows. NATO ASI Series, vol 481. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0265-7_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0265-7_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6603-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-0265-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive