EXACT-SOLUTIONS FOR STEADY-STATE INCOMPRESSIBLE MAGNETIC RECONNECTION

The problem of steady state magnetic reconnection in incompressible, r esistive plasmas is addressed. It is shown that families of exact anal ytic solutions can be derived by exploiting the formal symmetry betwee n the magnetic field lines and the streamlines of the how. These solut ions, while incorporating previous models for antiparallel magnetic me rging, assume no inherent topological symmetry for the reconnective ge ometry. It is demonstrated that fast reconnection occurs within a narr ow X-type configuration defined by the intersection of two separatrix lines. One separatrix line is undistinguished physically, but the othe r is contiguous with a global. current sheet across which there is no plasma flow. The implication is that fast reconnection is more likely to be associated with strong shearing motions close to the neutral poi nt rather than with the conventional stagnation point flow topology.