Open AccessCoexistence of Plasmoid and Kelvin–Helmholtz Instabilities in Collisionless Plasma Turbulence
Author(s) -
Dario Borgogno,
D. Grasso,
Beatrice Achilli,
M. Romé,
Luca Comisso
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
astrophysical journal/the astrophysical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.376
H-Index - 489
eISSN - 1538-4357
pISSN - 0004-637X
DOI - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac582f
Subject(s) - plasmoid , physics , magnetic reconnection , energy cascade , plasma , instability , magnetohydrodynamics , turbulence , magnetic field , magnetic energy , context (archaeology) , vortex , magnetohydrodynamic turbulence , mechanics , classical mechanics , computational physics , paleontology , magnetization , quantum mechanics , biology
The plasmoid formation in collisionless plasmas, where magnetic reconnection within turbulence may take place driven by the electron inertia, is analyzed. We find a complex situation in which, due to the presence of strong velocity shears, the typical plasmoid formation, observed to influence the energy cascade in the magnetohydrodynamic context, has to coexist with the Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability. We find that the current density layers may undergo the plasmoid or the KH instability depending on the local values of the magnetic and velocity fields. The competition among these instabilities affects not only the evolution of the current sheets, that may generate plasmoid chains or KH-driven vortices, but also the energy cascade, that is different for the magnetic and kinetic spectra.