Collisionless magnetic reconnection dynamics with electron inertia and parallel electron compressibility

    Authors

    B. K. Shivamoggi

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Plasma Phys.

    Keywords

    HIGH-TEMPERATURE PLASMAS; FIELD-LINE RECONNECTION; TOKAMAKS; DRIVEN; FLUID; SLAB; Physics, Fluids & Plasmas

    Abstract

    Collisionless magnetic reconnection dynamics is considered by including the effects of electron inertia as well as parallel electron cornpressibility. A fluid treatment is adopted for both electrons and ions. Collisionless plasma dynamics properties near a two-dimensional X-type magnetic neutral line in the steady state are explored. The effects of electron inertia and parallel electron compressibility on the hyperbolicity (or lack thereof) of the magnetic field lines in the neutral layer are discussed. A unified linear tearing-mode formulation incorporating both electron inertia and parallel electron compressibility is given. The parallel-electron-compressibility branch is shown to couple in general to the electron-inertia branch in the presence of resistivity. A sufficient condition for linear stability in the Lyapunov sense for steady states of this collisionless plasma system signifying current confinement is deduced. Bounds on the equilibrium current gradient are shown to constitute sufficient conditions for nonlinear stability in the Lyapunov sense for steady states via nonlinear bounds for a suitable perturbation norm.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Plasma Physics

    Volume

    73

    Publication Date

    1-1-2007

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    857

    Last Page

    868

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000251836300005

    ISSN

    0022-3778

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