Hall-mediated magnetic reconnection and onset of plasmoid instability

TL;DR

This paper explores how the Hall-effect influences magnetic reconnection and the onset of plasmoid instability within the framework of resistive Hall-MHD, combining analytical studies with instability analysis.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analytical investigation of Hall-mediated magnetic reconnection and identifies conditions for plasmoid instability onset in force-free configurations.

Findings

Hall-effect significantly alters reconnection dynamics.

Conditions for plasmoid instability are characterized.

Analytical framework for Hall-MHD reconnection is developed.

Abstract

We investigate a role of the Hall-effect in the current sheet evolution and onset of the secondary tearing (plasmoid) instability in the framework of the incompressible resistive Hall-magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The model under consideration is a force-free modification of the Taylor's problem. Thus, the first part of the paper is devoted to a detailed analytical study of the Hall-MHD forced magnetic reconnection in a tearing stable force-free magnetic configuration. Then, in the second part, these results are used to investigate when and how the plasmoid instability can develop in the course of this process.