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Critical thickness for two‐dimensional tearing instability
Author(s) -
Tanaka K. G.,
Shinohara I.,
Fujimoto M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl018955
Subject(s) - tearing , current sheet , instability , physics , electron , saturation (graph theory) , wavelength , magnetic reconnection , current (fluid) , ion , plasma instability , condensed matter physics , atomic physics , plasma , optics , mechanics , magnetohydrodynamics , mathematics , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics , combinatorics
Dependence of tearing mode saturation state on the current sheet thickness is investigated by two‐dimensional (2‐D) full particle simulations. When the system length L x is taken to be the wavelength of the maximum growth mode L x = λ max = 12D (D: half‐thickness of the current sheet), the instability is found to saturate without producing significant reconnection if D > D cr 1st = 3.5 λ e , where λ e is the electron inertial length. When the system length is doubled L x = 2λ max , only insignificant effects are available for D > D cr 2nd = 2.7λ h , where λ h is the ion‐electron hybrid inertial length. Comparing these 2‐D results with a recent 3‐D result, it is shown clearly that a three‐dimensional effect reduces the current sheet thickness and thus leads to quick production of substantial reconnection even if D > D cr 1st .