Shock formation and structure in magnetic reconnection with a streaming flow

Abstract The features of magnetic reconnection with a streaming flow have been investigated on the basis of compressible resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. The super-Alfvenic streaming flow largely enhances magnetic reconnection. The maximum reconnection rate is almost four times larger with...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Liangneng Wu, Zhiwei Ma, Haowei Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08836-8
Description
Summary:Abstract The features of magnetic reconnection with a streaming flow have been investigated on the basis of compressible resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. The super-Alfvenic streaming flow largely enhances magnetic reconnection. The maximum reconnection rate is almost four times larger with super-Alfvenic streaming flow than sub-Alfvénic streaming flow. In the nonlinear stage, it is found that there is a pair of shocks observed in the inflow region, which are manifested to be slow shocks for sub-Alfvénic streaming flow, and fast shocks for super-Alfvénic streaming flow. The quasi-period oscillation of reconnection rates in the decaying phase for super-Alfvénic streaming flow is resulted from the different drifting velocities of the shock and the X point.
ISSN:2045-2322