A Lagrangian kinetic model for collisionless magnetic reconnection

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel fully kinetic Lagrangian model for collisionless magnetic reconnection, incorporating a new Coriolis force term and a hybrid limit under strong electron magnetization.

Contribution

It develops a new Lagrangian-based kinetic model that accounts for electron inertia effects without assuming zero electron mass, including a novel Coriolis force term.

Findings

The model captures electron pressure tensor dynamics naturally.

In the strong electron magnetization limit, it simplifies to a hybrid model.

The formulation is based on fundamental Lagrangian principles.

Abstract

A new fully kinetic system is proposed for modeling collisionless magnetic reconnection. The formulation relies on fundamental principles in Lagrangian dynamics, in which the inertia of the electron mean flow is neglected in the expression of the Lagrangian, rather then enforcing a zero electron mass in the equations of motion. This is done upon splitting the electron velocity into its mean and fluctuating parts, so that the latter naturally produce the corresponding pressure tensor. The model exhibits a new Coriolis force term, which emerges from a change of frame in the electron dynamics. Then, if the electron heat flux is neglected, the strong electron magnetization limit yields a hybrid model, in which the electron pressure tensor is frozen into the electron mean velocity.