Bidirectional jet formation during driven magnetic reconnection in two-beam laser–plasma interactions

Nilson, P.M.; Willingale, L.; Kaluza, Malte C.; Kamperidis, C.; Minardi, Stefano; Wei, M. S.; Fernandes, P. A.; Notley, M.; Bandyopadhyay, S.; Sherlock, M.; Kingham, R. J.; Tatarakis, M.; Najmudin, Z.; Rozmus, W.; Evans, R. G.; Haines, M. G.; Dangor, A. E.; Krushelnick, K.

doi:10.1063/1.2966115

Cited by 58 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Although systems in different environments possess very different scales that can vary over a huge range, scaling laws of plasma and MHD processes allow us to relate them to the same process in many cases (Ryutov et al 2000). Laser-driven magnetic reconnection (LDMR, Nilson et al 2008;Zhong et al 2010) is one of the most significant topics of the laboratory astrophysics, booms and draws extensive attention lately.…”

Section: Outflows Observed During Laser-driven Reconnectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review on Current Sheets in CME Development: Theories and Observations

et al. 2015

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We introduce how the catastrophe model for solar eruptions predicted the formation and development of the long current sheet (CS) and how the observations were used to recognize the CS at the place where the CS is presumably located. Then, we discuss the direct measurement of the CS region thickness by studying the brightness distribution of the CS region at different wavelengths. The thickness ranges from 10 4 km to about 10 5 km at heights between 0.27 and 1.16 R from the solar surface. But the traditional theory indicates that the CS is as thin as the proton Larmor radius, which is of order tens of meters in the corona. We look into the huge difference in the thickness between observations and theoretical expectations. The possible impacts that affect measurements and results are studied, and physical causes leading to a thick CS region in which reconnection can still occur at a reasonably fast rate are analyzed. Studies in both theories and observations suggest that the difference between the true value and the apparent value of the CS thickness is not significant as long as the CS could be recognised in observations. We review observations that show complex structures and flows inside the CS region and present recent numerical modelling results on some aspects of these structures. Both observations and numerical experiments indicate that the downward reconnection outflows are usually slower than the upward ones in the same eruptive event. Numerical simulations show that the complex structure inside CS and its temporal behavior as a result of turbulence and the Petschek-type slow-mode shock could probably account for the thick CS and fast reconnection. But whether the CS itself is that thick still remains unknown since, for the time being, we cannot measure the electric current directly in that region. We also review the most recent laboratory experiments of reconnection driven by energetic laser beams, and discuss some important topics for future works.

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Section: Outflows Observed During Laser-driven Reconnectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review on Current Sheets in CME Development: Theories and Observations

et al. 2015

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“…These experiments were conducted using laser-produced plasmas, a well-established platform for studies of high-β magnetic reconnection. Prior experiments have examined the annihilation of magnetic fields [14][15][16][17], thermal properties of the plasma [18,19], plasma jets [18,[20][21][22], and energetic electrons produced during reconnection [23]. Particle-in-cell simulations have predicted that, in addition to flux pileup, two-fluid physics plays a significant role in these strongly driven, quasicollisionless reconnection configurations [24].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Slowing of Magnetic Reconnection Concurrent with Weakening Plasma Inflows and Increasing Collisionality in Strongly Driven Laser-Plasma Experiments

Rosenberg

Fox

et al. 2015

Phys. Rev. Lett.

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An evolution of magnetic reconnection behavior, from fast jets to the slowing of reconnection and the establishment of a stable current sheet, has been observed in strongly driven, β ≲ 20 laser-produced plasma experiments. This process has been inferred to occur alongside a slowing of plasma inflows carrying the oppositely directed magnetic fields as well as the evolution of plasma conditions from collisionless to collisional. High-resolution proton radiography has revealed unprecedented detail of the forced interaction of magnetic fields and super-Alfvénic electron jets (V jet ∼ 20V A ) ejected from the reconnection region, indicating that two-fluid or collisionless magnetic reconnection occurs early in time. The absence of jets and the persistence of strong, stable magnetic fields at late times indicates that the reconnection process slows down, while plasma flows stagnate and plasma conditions evolve to a cooler, denser, more collisional state. These results demonstrate that powerful initial plasma flows are not sufficient to force a complete reconnection of magnetic fields, even in the strongly driven regime. [4] plasmas, where oppositely directed magnetic fields undergo a modification of field-line topology and release magnetic energy. While reconnection has typically been studied experimentally in tenuous, quasi-steady-state plasmas, reconnection of magnetic fields in strongly driven (ram pressure > magnetic pressure), β > 1 (total thermal pressure > magnetic pressure) plasmas occurs frequently in astrophysics, impacting dynamics of plasmas in the solar photosphere [5] and at the heliopause [6]. In these strongly driven environments, the rate of reconnection is dictated largely by hydrodynamics and the plasma flows that advect the magnetic fields.In addition, when the scale width of the reconnection region is smaller than the ion inertial length (d i ≡ c=ω pi ), electrons and ions decouple, and the reconnection process is governed by electron flows, rather than by the entire plasma fluid. This two-fluid reconnection (otherwise known as Hall reconnection or collisionless reconnection) is faster than classical Sweet-Parker [7,8] reconnection in the collisional, single-fluid regime. Two-fluid reconnection is a common occurrence in astrophysics [9], and it has been studied in tenuous, quasisteady plasma experiments [10,11]. Two-fluid reconnection in the high β or strongly driven regimes is especially pertinent at the dayside magnetopause of the Earth and other planets [12,13], though, to date, there has been little laboratory investigation of the physics of two-fluid reconnection in such plasmas.This Letter presents the direct observation of two-fluid reconnection features-fast electron jets-preceding the stagnation of magnetic fields and the establishment of a stable current sheet in a strongly driven, β ≲ 20 plasma experiment. These experiments were conducted using laser-produced plasmas, a well-established platform for studies of high-β magnetic reconnection. Prior experiments have examined the annihilatio...

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“…Yates et al [27] observed the hot emission 01010-p.3 at reconnection point by focussing two laser beams on the gold foil. Nilson et al [17,18] performed a similar experiment, in which two distinctive plasma jets were observed. Li et al [28] and Willingale et al [29] diagnosed the laser-driven magnetic reconnection process with novel proton radiography.…”

Section: Magnetic Reconnection In Solar Flares and Laser Driven Magnementioning

confidence: 90%

“…Magnetic reconnection (MR) is a fundamental physical process in a plasma which facilitates the conversion of magnetic energy into kinetic and thermal energies through acceleration and/or heating of particles [11,12], and is believed to dominate among different astrophysical phenomena from solar flares [13,14], star formations [15], other astrophysical events [16], laser-produced plasma jets [17][18][19], tokamak sawteeth [20] to disruptions in laboratories. Considerably large scale differences between astrophysical and laboratory plasmas hinder the direct measurements of magnetic reconnection events in laboratory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Table-top solar flares produced with laser driven magnetic reconnections

Zhong

Wang

et al. 2013

EPJ Web of Conferences

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Abstract. The American Nuclear Society (ANS) has presented the prestigious Edward Teller award to Dr. Bruce A. Remington during the 2011 IFSA conference due to his "pioneering scientific work in the fields of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), and especially developing an international effort in high energy density laboratory astrophysics" [1,2]. This is a great acknowledgement to the subject of high energy density laboratory astrophysics. In this context, we report here one experiment conducted to model solar flares in the laboratory with intense lasers [3]. The mega-gauss -scale magnetic fields produced by laser produced plasmas can be used to make magnetic reconnection topology. We have produced one table-top solar flare in our laboratory experiment with the same geometric setup as associated with solar flares.

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Bidirectional jet formation during driven magnetic reconnection in two-beam laser–plasma interactions

Cited by 58 publications

References 27 publications

Review on Current Sheets in CME Development: Theories and Observations

Review on Current Sheets in CME Development: Theories and Observations

Slowing of Magnetic Reconnection Concurrent with Weakening Plasma Inflows and Increasing Collisionality in Strongly Driven Laser-Plasma Experiments

Table-top solar flares produced with laser driven magnetic reconnections

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