The scaling of collisionless, magnetic reconnection for large systems

Authors
Shay, MA Drake, JF Rogers, BN Denton, RE
Citation
Ma. Shay et al., The scaling of collisionless, magnetic reconnection for large systems, GEOPHYS R L, 26(14), 1999, pp. 2163-2166
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Earth Sciences
Journal title
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
ISSN journal
00948276 → ACNP
Volume
26
Issue
14
Year of publication
1999
Pages
2163 - 2166
Database
ISI
SICI code
0094-8276(19990715)26:14<2163:TSOCMR>2.0.ZU;2-3
Abstract
Hybrid simulations with electron inertia, along with analytic scaling argum ents, are presented which demonstrate that magnetic reconnection remains Al fvenic in a collisionless system even as the macroscopic scale length of th e system becomes very large. This fast reconnection is facilitated by the w histler physics present near the x-line. The reconnection rate is found to be a universal constant corresponding to an inflow velocity towards the x-l ine of around 0.1 c(A).