Laser-induced fluorescence measurement of the ion-energy-distribution function in a collisionless reconnection experiment.
Observations in space and laboratory plasmas suggest magnetic reconnection as a mechanism for ion heating and formation of non-Maxwellian ion velocity distribution functions (IVDF). Laser-induced fluorescence measurements of the IVDF parallel to the X line of a periodically driven reconnection experiment are presented. A time-resolved analysis yields the evolution of the IVDF within a reconnection cycle. It is shown that reconnection causes a strong increase of the ion temperature, where the strongest increase is found at the maximum reconnection rate. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that ion heating is a consequence of the in-plane electric field that forms around the X line in response to reconnection.
Stark
A
A
Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, EURATOM Association, Greifswald 17491, Germany.
Fox
W
W
Egedal
J
J
Grulke
O
O
Klinger
T
T