Shock formation and structure in magnetic reconnection with a streaming flow

Abstract

The features of magnetic reconnection with a streaming flow have been investigated on the basis of compressible resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. The super-Alfvenic streaming flow largely enhances magnetic reconnection. The maximum reconnection rate is almost four times larger with super-Alfvenic streaming flow than sub-Alfvénic streaming flow. In the nonlinear stage, it is found that there is a pair of shocks observed in the inflow region, which are manifested to be slow shocks for sub-Alfvénic streaming flow, and fast shocks for super-Alfvénic streaming flow. The quasi-period oscillation of reconnection rates in the decaying phase for super-Alfvénic streaming flow is resulted from the different drifting velocities of the shock and the X point.

Investigation Into Magnetic Reconnection Formation on Propellant Ignition in Electrical Explosion

“…In the last decades, it has been realized that a class of processes known variously as magnetic merging, magnetic field annihilation, or magnetic reconnection must be the key to change in magnetic topology [1][2][3]. Magnetic reconnection, which is the breaking and topological rearrangement of magnetic field lines in plasma, occurs everywhere in the universe, in solar flares, in solar corona, the Earth's magnetosphere, and laboratory plasmas [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. The laboratory plasmas mainly include magnetized plasma (16), laser-driven plasma [17], and two-gun plasma [18].…”