Three-dimensional magnetic reconnection regimes: a review

By David Pontin. 2011

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Abstract The magnetic field in many astrophysical plasmas – such as the solar corona and Earth’s magnetosphere – has been shown to have a highly complex, three-dimensional structure. Recent advances in theory and computational simulations have shown that reconnection in these fields also has a three-dimensional nature, in contrast to the widely used two-dimensional (or 2.5-dimensional) models. Here we discuss the underlying theory of three-dimensional magnetic reconnection. We also review a selection of new models that illustrate the current state of the art, as well as highlighting the complexity of energy release processes mediated by reconnection in complicated three-dimensional magnetic fields.

Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5b76857eaffee29a00b1874d6cc767bbd2eed0f2