Self-Feeding Turbulent Magnetic Reconnection on Macroscopic Scales

TL;DR

This paper reveals a new chaotic magnetic reconnection regime in MHD that is faster and more distributed than traditional laminar models, with significant implications for understanding astrophysical and laboratory plasmas.

Contribution

It introduces a novel chaotic reconnection process that occurs on macroscopic scales, contrasting with the classical laminar Sweet-Parker model.

Findings

Chaotic reconnection develops rapidly on Alfvén timescales.

Reconnection regions become distributed chaotically over large areas.

Formation of circulation patterns enhances magnetic flux transport.

Abstract

Within a MHD approach we find magnetic reconnection to progress in two entirely different ways. The first is well-known: the laminar Sweet-Parker process. But a second, completely different and chaotic reconnection process is possible. This regime has properties of immediate practical relevance: i) it is much faster, developing on scales of the order of the Alfv\'en time, and ii) the areas of reconnection become distributed chaotically over a macroscopic region. The onset of the faster process is the formation of closed circulation patterns where the jets going out of the reconnection regions turn around and forces their way back in, carrying along copious amounts of magnetic flux.