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Merging of magnetic islands as an efficient accelerator of electrons

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Merging of magnetic islands as an efficient accelerator of electrons. / Tanaka, Kentaro G.; Yumura, Tsubasa; Fujimoto, Masaki et al.
In: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, No. 10, 102902, 07.10.2010.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Tanaka, KG, Yumura, T, Fujimoto, M, Shinohara, I, Badman, SV & Grocott, A 2010, 'Merging of magnetic islands as an efficient accelerator of electrons', Physics of Plasmas, vol. 17, no. 10, 102902. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3491123

APA

Tanaka, K. G., Yumura, T., Fujimoto, M., Shinohara, I., Badman, S. V., & Grocott, A. (2010). Merging of magnetic islands as an efficient accelerator of electrons. Physics of Plasmas, 17(10), Article 102902. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3491123

Vancouver

Tanaka KG, Yumura T, Fujimoto M, Shinohara I, Badman SV, Grocott A. Merging of magnetic islands as an efficient accelerator of electrons. Physics of Plasmas. 2010 Oct 7;17(10):102902. doi: 10.1063/1.3491123

Author

Tanaka, Kentaro G. ; Yumura, Tsubasa ; Fujimoto, Masaki et al. / Merging of magnetic islands as an efficient accelerator of electrons. In: Physics of Plasmas. 2010 ; Vol. 17, No. 10.

Bibtex

@article{a8613f79d253496b8e754e951a31652d,
title = "Merging of magnetic islands as an efficient accelerator of electrons",
abstract = "In a thin elongated current sheet, it is likely that more than one X-line forms and thus multiple magnetic islands are produced. The islands are then subject to merging. By simulating such a case with a two-dimensional full-particle code, we show that a merger forming a large island produces the most energetic electron population in the system. By setting the lateral extent of the simulation box to be as large as ∼ 100 ion inertial lengths, we introduce many (16) small islands in the initial thin current sheet ( ∼ 1 ion inertial length thickness). Merging of these islands proceeds to leave only two islands in the system. Then, strong electron acceleration is seen upon the final merger that produces the single island in the large simulation box. The most energetic electrons in the system are accelerated at the merging line. The merging line acceleration dominates because the reverse-reconnection facilitating the final merger is in such a strongly driven manner that the associated electric field is an order of magnitude larger than those available upon normal reconnection. Combining the results from additional runs enables us to obtain a scaling law, which suggests a non-negligible role played by merging lines in the observed electron acceleration phenomena.",
keywords = "magnetic reconnection, plasma simulation, plasma transport processes",
author = "Tanaka, {Kentaro G.} and Tsubasa Yumura and Masaki Fujimoto and Iku Shinohara and Badman, {Sarah V.} and Adrian Grocott",
year = "2010",
month = oct,
day = "7",
doi = "10.1063/1.3491123",
language = "English",
volume = "17",
journal = "Physics of Plasmas",
issn = "1070-664X",
publisher = "American Institute of Physics Inc.",
number = "10",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Merging of magnetic islands as an efficient accelerator of electrons

AU - Tanaka, Kentaro G.

AU - Yumura, Tsubasa

AU - Fujimoto, Masaki

AU - Shinohara, Iku

AU - Badman, Sarah V.

AU - Grocott, Adrian

PY - 2010/10/7

Y1 - 2010/10/7

N2 - In a thin elongated current sheet, it is likely that more than one X-line forms and thus multiple magnetic islands are produced. The islands are then subject to merging. By simulating such a case with a two-dimensional full-particle code, we show that a merger forming a large island produces the most energetic electron population in the system. By setting the lateral extent of the simulation box to be as large as ∼ 100 ion inertial lengths, we introduce many (16) small islands in the initial thin current sheet ( ∼ 1 ion inertial length thickness). Merging of these islands proceeds to leave only two islands in the system. Then, strong electron acceleration is seen upon the final merger that produces the single island in the large simulation box. The most energetic electrons in the system are accelerated at the merging line. The merging line acceleration dominates because the reverse-reconnection facilitating the final merger is in such a strongly driven manner that the associated electric field is an order of magnitude larger than those available upon normal reconnection. Combining the results from additional runs enables us to obtain a scaling law, which suggests a non-negligible role played by merging lines in the observed electron acceleration phenomena.

AB - In a thin elongated current sheet, it is likely that more than one X-line forms and thus multiple magnetic islands are produced. The islands are then subject to merging. By simulating such a case with a two-dimensional full-particle code, we show that a merger forming a large island produces the most energetic electron population in the system. By setting the lateral extent of the simulation box to be as large as ∼ 100 ion inertial lengths, we introduce many (16) small islands in the initial thin current sheet ( ∼ 1 ion inertial length thickness). Merging of these islands proceeds to leave only two islands in the system. Then, strong electron acceleration is seen upon the final merger that produces the single island in the large simulation box. The most energetic electrons in the system are accelerated at the merging line. The merging line acceleration dominates because the reverse-reconnection facilitating the final merger is in such a strongly driven manner that the associated electric field is an order of magnitude larger than those available upon normal reconnection. Combining the results from additional runs enables us to obtain a scaling law, which suggests a non-negligible role played by merging lines in the observed electron acceleration phenomena.

KW - magnetic reconnection

KW - plasma simulation

KW - plasma transport processes

U2 - 10.1063/1.3491123

DO - 10.1063/1.3491123

M3 - Journal article

VL - 17

JO - Physics of Plasmas

JF - Physics of Plasmas

SN - 1070-664X

IS - 10

M1 - 102902

ER -