Particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with a guide field reveal for the first time the three dimensional features of the low density regions along the magnetic reconnection separatrices, the so-called cavities. It is found that structures with further lower density develop within the cavities. Because their appearance is similar to the rib shape, these formations are here called low density ribs. Their location remains approximately fixed in time and their density progressively decreases, as electron currents along the cavities evacuate them. They develop along the magnetic field lines and are supported by a strong perpendicular electric field that oscillates in space. In addition, bipolar parallel electric field structures form as isolated spheres between the cavities and the outflow plasma, along the direction of the low density ribs and of magnetic field lines.
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March 2012
Research Article|
March 30 2012
Three dimensional density cavities in guide field collisionless magnetic reconnection
S. Markidis;
S. Markidis
a)
1
Centrum voor Plasma-Astrofysica, Departement Wiskunde, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
, Leuven, Belgium
2
PDC Center for High Performance Computing, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
, Stockholm, Sweden
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G. Lapenta;
G. Lapenta
1
Centrum voor Plasma-Astrofysica, Departement Wiskunde, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
, Leuven, Belgium
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A. Divin;
A. Divin
1
Centrum voor Plasma-Astrofysica, Departement Wiskunde, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
, Leuven, Belgium
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M. Goldman;
M. Goldman
3
Department of Physics and CIPS, University of Colorado
, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
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D. Newman;
D. Newman
3
Department of Physics and CIPS, University of Colorado
, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA
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L. Andersson
L. Andersson
4
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado
, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA
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a)
Electronic address: markidis@pdc.kth.se.
Phys. Plasmas 19, 032119 (2012)
Article history
Received:
December 28 2011
Accepted:
March 10 2012
Citation
S. Markidis, G. Lapenta, A. Divin, M. Goldman, D. Newman, L. Andersson; Three dimensional density cavities in guide field collisionless magnetic reconnection. Phys. Plasmas 1 March 2012; 19 (3): 032119. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3697976
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