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Magnetic field-line reconnexion by localized enhancement of resistivity. Part 3. Controlling factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

Masayuki Ugai  and
Takao Tsuda
Masayuki Ugai
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
Takao Tsuda
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering,Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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Abstract

The previous companion papers have shown the important effect of a local increase in resistivity upon the fast-reconnexion configuration. The present paper exaniines another significant situation where the injection rate of magnetic flux into the reconnexion region is strongly constrained by some external agency. It is shown that as long as a local resistivity enhancement is retained, stationary configurations can ultimately be established which depend on the imposed boundary values in each case. The rate of magnetic field line reconnexion in the stationary configuration is indeed closely controlled by the boundary values. However, the reconnexion rate (measured by the local Mach number at a distance from the neutral point as in the ordinary theoretical treatments) is scarcely influenced by them. Also, it is shown that without the local resistivity enhancement the large-scale X-type field configuration, which should be required for any fast reconnexion process, can no longer be sustained.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , June 1979 , pp. 459 - 473
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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References

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