[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 5, S2006 (2010)

Regular Articles

Magnetic Reconnection Controlled by Multi-Hierarchy Physics in an Open System
Ritoku HORIUCHI1,2), Shunsuke USAMI1), Hiroaki OHTANI1,2) and Toseo MORITAKA3)
1)
National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki 509-5292, Japan
2)
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Toki 509-5292, Japan
3)
Kobe University, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
(Received 7 December 2009 / Accepted 12 March 2010 / Published 10 December 2010)

Abstract

Multi-hierarchy physics in magnetic reconnection is investigated using two kinds of numerical simulation models: the electromagnetic particle simulation model for an open system (PASMO) and the magnetohydrodynamic and particle-in-cell (MHD-PIC) interlocked model for the multi-hierarchy simulation of magnetic reconnection. A series of simulation studies using the PASMO code have disclosed that ion and electron dissipation regions form inside a kinetic regime in which ion and electron meandering orbit effects are crucial in triggering collisionless reconnection (CR). Anomalous resistivity leading to CR is also generated through the excitation of ion-ion kink instability in an ion-scale current sheet. We confirmed that the MHD-PIC interlocked model, based on the domain decomposition and multi-time-step methods, can describe collisionless driven reconnection in an open system as a multi-hierarchy phenomenon with high accuracy.

Keywords

multi-hierarchy physics, magnetic reconnection, open system, anomalous resistivity, MHD-PIC interlocked model

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.5.S2006

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Ritoku HORIUCHI, Shunsuke USAMI, Hiroaki OHTANI and Toseo MORITAKA, Plasma Fusion Res. 5, S2006 (2010).