Quantitative, comprehensive, analytical model for magnetic reconnection in Hall magnetohydrodynamics.
Dissipation-independent, or "fast", magnetic reconnection has been observed computationally in Hall magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and predicted analytically in electron MHD. However, a quantitative analytical theory of reconnection valid for arbitrary ion inertial lengths, d{i}, has been lacking and is proposed here for the first time. The theory describes a two-dimensional reconnection diffusion region, provides expressions for reconnection rates, and derives a formal criterion for fast reconnection in terms of dissipation parameters and d{i}. It also confirms the electron MHD prediction that both open and elongated diffusion regions allow fast reconnection, and reveals strong dependence of the reconnection rates on d{i}.
Simakov
Andrei N
AN
Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Chacón
L
L