Magnetohydrodynamic structure of a plasmoid in fast reconnection in low-beta plasmas

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution MHD simulations to analyze the complex shock and turbulence structures within plasmoids during fast magnetic reconnection in low-beta plasmas, revealing their fundamental features.

Contribution

It provides detailed simulation-based insights into shock structures and turbulence inside plasmoids, highlighting features specific to low-beta plasma reconnection.

Findings

Identification of vertical slow shocks behind plasmoids

Discovery of shock-reflection phenomena at the front

Observation of Kelvin-Helmholtz-like turbulence inside plasmoids

Abstract

Plasmoid structures in fast reconnection in low-beta plasmas are investigated by two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations. A high-resolution shock-capturing code enables us to explore a variety of shock structures: vertical slow shocks behind the plasmoid, another slow shocks in the outer-region, and the shock-reflection in the front side. The Kelvin-Helmholtz-like turbulence is also found inside the plasmoid. It is concluded that these shocks are rigorous features in reconnection in low-beta plasmas, where the reconnection jet speed or the upstream Alfven speed exceeds the sound speed.