Three-dimensional Oscillatory Magnetic Reconnection

Thurgood, Jonathan, Pontin, David and McLaughlin, James (2017) Three-dimensional Oscillatory Magnetic Reconnection. The Astrophysical Journal, 844 (1). p. 2. ISSN 0004-637X

	Text manuscript.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (17MB) | Request a copy
Preview	Text Thurgood et al - Three-dimensional Oscillatory Magnetic Reconnection.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (673kB) | Preview

Abstract

Here we detail the dynamic evolution of localised reconnection regions about three-dimensional (3D) magnetic null points by using numerical simulation. We demonstrate for the first time that reconnection triggered by the localised collapse of a 3D null point due to an external MHD wave involves a self-generated oscillation, whereby the current sheet and outflow jets undergo a reconnection reversal process during which back-pressure formation at the jet heads acts to prise open the collapsed field before overshooting the equilibrium into an opposite-polarity configuration. The discovery that reconnection at fully 3D nulls can proceed naturally in a time-dependent and periodic fashion is suggestive that oscillatory reconnection mechanisms may play a role in explaining periodicity in astrophysical phenomena associated with magnetic reconnection, such as the observed quasi-periodicity of solar and stellar are emission. Furthermore, we find a consequence of oscillatory reconnection is the generation of a plethora of freely-propagating MHD waves which escape the vicinity of the reconnection region.

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads