Open AccessParameter dependence of quick magnetic reconnection triggering: A survey study using two‐dimensional simulations
Author(s) -
Tanaka K. G.,
Shinohara I.,
Fujimoto M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2006ja011968
Subject(s) - current sheet , physics , magnetic reconnection , instability , current (fluid) , magnetic field , computational physics , electron , plasma , astrophysics , mechanics , magnetohydrodynamics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
The current sheet structure modification by lower‐hybrid drift instability (LHDI) has been shown to lead to quick magnetic reconnection triggering (QMRT) even in a thick current sheet (Tanaka et al., 2005). The three‐dimensional simulations, however, have been limited to certain sets of parameters. Having learned which effects of LHDI are crucial for QMRT in these three‐dimensional results, we perform a series of two‐dimensional simulations of LHDI (reconnection itself not included) with various current sheet thickness D, guide field intensity B 0y , and the frequency ratio τ ( τ = ω pe /Ω e , where ω pe is the electron plasma frequency and Ω e is the electron gyrofrequency) and inspect how these parameters affect the QMRT process. While QMRT looked promising in the three‐dimensional studies with B 0y = 0 and τ = 1, the two realistic factors, nonzero guide field and τ larger than 1, requires rather small current sheet thickness for QMRT to be operative in the magnetospheric situations.