English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

The plasma {\beta} (the ratio of the plasma pressure to the magneticpressure) of a system can have a large effect on its dynamics as high {\beta}enhances the effects of pressure anisotropies. We investigate the effects of{\beta} in a system of stacked current sheets that break up into magneticislands due to magnetic reconnection. We find significant differences between{\beta} < 1 and {\beta} > 1. At low {\beta} growing magnetic islands aremodestly elongated and become round as contraction releases magnetic stress andreduces magnetic energy. At high {\beta} the increase of the parallel pressurein contracting islands causes saturation of modestly elongated islands asisland cores approach the marginal firehose condition. Only highly elongatedislands reach finite size. The kinking associated with the Weibel and firehoseinstabilities prevents full contraction of these islands, leading to a finalstate of highly elongated islands in which further reconnection is suppressed.The results are directly relevant to reconnection in the sectored region of theheliosheath and possibly to saturation mechanisms of the magnetorotationalinstability in accretion flows.

The effects of plasma beta and anisotropy instabilities on the dynamics of reconnecting magnetic fields in the heliosheath