Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 11, 2401069 (2016)

Regular Articles

Characteristics of Magnetic Fluctuations during Magnetic Reconnection in Counter-Helicity Spheromak Merging Experiment
Ryoma YANAI, Akihiro KUWAHATA1) and Michiaki INOMOTO1)
Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
1)
Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan
(Received 30 November 2015 / Accepted 12 February 2016 / Published 17 May 2016)

Abstract

We performed detailed magnetic probe measurement to detect magnetic fluctuations during magnetic reconnection in counter-helicity spheromak merging experiment in TS-4. The fluctuation power in the frequency range of 0.5 - 5 MHz was concentrated in the outboard-side downstream region of the reconnection point while the fluctuation power in the frequency range of 7 - 20 MHz was localized inside the current sheet. It has been found that the detected fluctuations inside the current sheet had similar characteristics to obliquely propagating Whistler waves, but showed different power spectra inside the current sheet and in the downstream region.

Keywords

magnetic reconnection, magnetic fluctuation, Whistler wave, spheromak merging

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.11.2401069

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