Explosive Turbulent Magnetic Reconnection

TL;DR

This paper presents simulation results showing that turbulence can induce explosive magnetic reconnection, converting magnetic energy into plasma energy and forming fast reconnection jets, with different behaviors depending on turbulence strength.

Contribution

The study introduces a Reynolds-averaged MHD model to simulate turbulent magnetic reconnection, revealing how turbulence influences reconnection regimes and energy conversion processes.

Findings

Turbulent reconnection explosively converts magnetic energy into plasma energy.

Different reconnection behaviors depend on turbulence strength.

Localized turbulent diffusion facilitates fast reconnection jets.

Abstract

We report simulation results for turbulent magnetic reconnection obtained using a newly developed Reynolds-averaged magnetohydrodynamics model. We find that the initial Harris current sheet develops in three ways, depending on the strength of turbulence: laminar reconnection, turbulent reconnection, and turbulent diffusion. The turbulent reconnection explosively converts the magnetic field energy into both kinetic and thermal energy of plasmas, and generates open fast reconnection jets. This fast turbulent reconnection is achieved by the localization of turbulent diffusion. Additionally, localized structure forms through the interaction of the mean field and turbulence.