EXACT-SOLUTIONS FOR STEADY-STATE, PLANAR, MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN ANINCOMPRESSIBLE VISCOUS PLASMA

The exact planar reconnection analysis of Craig and Henton [Astrophys. J. 450, 280 (1995)] is extended to include the finite viscosity of th e fluid and the presence of nonplanar components in the magnetic and v elocity fields. It is shown that fast reconnection can be achieved for sufficiently small values of the kinematic viscosity. In particular, the dissipation rate is sustained by the strong amplification of plana r magnetic field components advected toward the neutral point. By cont rast, nonplanar field components are advected without amplification an d so dissipate energy at the slow Sweet-Parker rate. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.