Poster abstract details

Effects of Turbulence on Magnetic Reconnection. 2.5D numerical simulation
Otmianowska-Mazur K., Kowal G., Lazarian A., Vishniac E.T.

Abstract

Turbulent reconnection process is studied by means of a 2.5 dimensional compressible
numerical magnetohydrodynamical calculations. The process of homogenous turbulence
is set up by adding two-dimensional divergence-free random forcing implemented in spectral
space at small wave numbers with no correlation between velocity and forcing.
We apply an initial Harris current sheet set up together with a density profile calculated
from a numerical equilibrium of magnetic field and gas preassures. We assume that there
is no external forcing of the reconnection. The reconnection develops as a result of an initial
vector potential perturbation. We introduce inflow at x boundaries and outflow at y
edges. Our main goal is to find the influence of the turbulence on the magnetic reconnection
process.

The results of our simulations show that the process of turbulence significantly affects
the topology of the magnetic field near the diffusion region. We present that the speed of
reconnection does not depend on the Reynolds numbers and the magnetic diffusion. Additionally
a fragmentation of the current sheet decreases disparity in inflow/outflow ratios of magnetic
flux. When we apply the large scale and more powerful turbulence the reconnection is faster.