Numerical examination of plasmoid-induced reconnection model for solar flares: the relation between plasmoid velocity and reconnection rate

TL;DR

This study uses MHD simulations to quantitatively analyze how plasmoid ejection velocity influences magnetic reconnection rates in solar flares, confirming a positive correlation predicted by the plasmoid-induced-reconnection model.

Contribution

It provides a detailed numerical examination of the relationship between plasmoid velocity and reconnection rate, supporting the theoretical model with simulation data.

Findings

Reconnection rate positively correlates with plasmoid velocity.

Simulation results align with the plasmoid-induced-reconnection model.

Observational evidence supports the simulation findings.

Abstract

The plasmoid-induced-reconnection model explaining solar flares based on bursty reconnection produced by an ejecting plasmoid suggests a possible relation between the ejection velocity of a plasmoid and the rate of magnetic reconnection. In this study, we focus on the quantitative description of this relation. We performed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of solar flares by changing the values of resistivity and the plasmoid velocity. The plasmoid velocity has been changed by applying an additional force to the plasmoid to see how the plasmoid velocity affects the reconnection rate. An important result is that the reconnection rate has a positive correlation with the plasmoid velocity, which is consistent with the plasmoid-induced-reconnection model for solar flares. We also discuss an observational result supporting this positive correlation.