Numerical simulations of separatrix instabilities in collisionless magnetic reconnection

Electron scale dynamics of magnetic reconnection separatrix jets is studied in this paper. Instabilities developing in directions both parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field are investigated. Implicit particle-in-cell simulations with realistic electron-to-ion mass ratio are complemented by a set of small scale high resolution runs having the separatrix force balance as the initial condition. A special numerical procedure is developed to introduce the force balance into the small scale runs. Simulations show the development of streaming instabilities and consequent formation of electron holes in the parallel direction. A new electron jet instability develops in the perpendicular direction. The instability is closely related to the electron MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz mode and is destabilized by a flow, perpendicular to magnetic field at the separatrix. Tearing instability of the separatrix electron jet is modulated strongly by the electron MHD Kelvin-Helmholtz mode.

[1]  William Daughton,et al.  Role of electron physics in the development of turbulent magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas , 2011 .

[2]  J. Drake,et al.  A current filamentation mechanism for breaking magnetic field lines during reconnection , 2011, Nature.

[3]  S. Markidis,et al.  Model of electron pressure anisotropy in the electron diffusion region of collisionless magnetic reconnection , 2010 .

[4]  M. Fujimoto,et al.  Observations of slow electron holes at a magnetic reconnection site. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[5]  Can Huang,et al.  Transverse instability and perpendicular electric field in two‐dimensional electron phase‐space holes , 2010 .

[6]  Stefano Markidis,et al.  Scales of guide field reconnection at the hydrogen mass ratio , 2010 .

[7]  Stefano Markidis,et al.  Multi-scale simulations of plasma with iPIC3D , 2010, Math. Comput. Simul..

[8]  F. Mozer,et al.  Asymmetric magnetic reconnection in the presence of a guide field , 2009 .

[9]  M. Goldman,et al.  Vlasov simulations of electron holes driven by particle distributions from PIC reconnection simulations with a guide field , 2008 .

[10]  J. Tao,et al.  Perpendicular electric field in two‐dimensional electron phase‐holes: A parameter study , 2008 .

[11]  K. Bowers,et al.  Three-dimensional dynamics of collisionless magnetic reconnection in large-scale pair plasmas. , 2008, Physical review letters.

[12]  M. Hoshino.  Electron surfing acceleration in magnetic reconnection , 2005, astro-ph/0507528.

[13]  M. Shay,et al.  Production of energetic electrons during magnetic reconnection. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[14]  John R Wygant,et al.  Cluster observations of electron holes in association with magnetotail reconnection and comparison to simulations , 2005 .

[15]  P. Pritchett,et al.  Three‐dimensional collisionless magnetic reconnection in the presence of a guide field , 2004 .

[16]  M. Shay,et al.  Formation of Electron Holes and Particle Energization During Magnetic Reconnection , 2003, Science.

[17]  N. Jain,et al.  Nonlinear electron magnetohydrodynamic simulations of sausage-like instability of current channels , 2003 .

[18]  John R Wygant,et al.  Polar observations of solitary waves at the Earth's magnetopause , 2001 .

[19]  Iku Shinohara,et al.  Suprathermal electron acceleration in magnetic reconnection , 2001 .

[20]  Amita Das,et al.  Nonlocal sausage-like instability of current channels in electron magnetohydrodynamics , 2001 .

[21]  Roth,et al.  Transverse instability of magnetized electron holes , 2000, Physical review letters.

[22]  G. Morales,et al.  Dynamics of narrow electron streams in magnetized plasmas , 1998 .

[23]  Jeremiah Brackbill,et al.  An implicit method for electromagnetic plasma simulation in two dimensions , 1982 .

[24]  E. G. Harris.  On a plasma sheath separating regions of oppositely directed magnetic field , 1962 .