Open AccessMeasurement of Lower-hybrid Drift Turbulence in a Reconnecting Current Sheet
Author(s) -
T.A. Carter,
Hantao Ji,
F. Trintchouk,
Masaaki Yamada,
Russell M. Kulsrud
Publication year - 2001
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/787682
Subject(s) - current sheet , magnetic reconnection , physics , current (fluid) , turbulence , instability , electrical resistivity and conductivity , range (aeronautics) , computational physics , geophysics , condensed matter physics , mechanics , plasma , materials science , magnetohydrodynamics , nuclear physics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics , composite material
We present a detailed study of fluctuations in a laboratory current sheet undergoing magnetic reconnection. The measurements reveal the presence of lower-hybrid-frequency range fluctuations on the edge of current sheets produced in the Magnetic Reconnection Experiment (MRX). The measured fluctuation characteristics are consistent with theoretical predictions for the lower-hybrid drift instability (LHDI). Our observations suggest that the LHDI does not provide any significant turbulent resistivity in MRX current sheets