Authors
Alex Lazarian, Gregory L Eyink, Amir Jafari, Grzegorz Kowal, Hui Li, Siyao Xu, Ethan T Vishniac
Publication date
2020/1/1
Journal
Physics of Plasmas
Volume
27
Issue
1
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Description
Magnetic reconnection, topological changes in magnetic fields, is a fundamental process in magnetized plasmas. It is associated with energy release in regions of magnetic field annihilation, but this is only one facet of this process. Astrophysical fluid flows normally have very large Reynolds numbers and are expected to be turbulent, in agreement with observations. In strong turbulence, magnetic field lines constantly reconnect everywhere and on all scales, thus making magnetic reconnection an intrinsic part of the turbulent cascade. We note in particular that this is inconsistent with the usual practice of magnetic field lines as persistent dynamical elements. A number of theoretical, numerical, and observational studies starting with the paper done by Lazarian and Vishniac [Astrophys. J. 517, 700–718 (1999)] proposed that 3D turbulence makes magnetic reconnection fast and that magnetic reconnection and …
Total citations
202020212022202320241950522823
Scholar articles
A Lazarian, GL Eyink, A Jafari, G Kowal, H Li, S Xu… - Physics of Plasmas, 2020