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Global energetics of fast magnetic reconnection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

M. Jardine  and
E. R. Priest
M. Jardine
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9SS, Scotland
E. R. Priest
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9SS, Scotland
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Abstract

We examine the global energetics of a recent weakly nonlinear theory of fast steady-state reconnection in an incompressible plasma (Jardine & Priest 1988). This is itself an extension to second order of the Priest & Forbes (1986) family of models, of which Petschek-like and Sonnerup-like solutions are special cases. While to first order we find that the energy conversion is insensitive to the type of solution (such as slow compression or flux pile-up), to second order not only does the total energy converted vary but so also does the ratio of the thermal to kinetic energies produced. For a slow compression with a strongly converging flow, the amount of energy converted is greatest and is dominated by the thermal contribution, while for a flux pile-up with a strongly diverging flow, the amount of energy converted is smallest and is dominated by the kinetic contribution. We also find that the total energy flowing out of the downstream region can be increased either by increasing the external magnetic Mach number Me or the external plasma beta βe Increasing Me also enhances the variations between different types of solutions.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 40 , Issue 3 , December 1988 , pp. 505 - 515
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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References

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