Abstract
This review of three-dimensional reconnection focusses on the MHD aspects of the process. It describes the different structures where current tends to concentrate and so lead to reconnection, namely, null points (where the magnetic field vanishes), separators (which are magnetic field lines joining null points) and quasi-separators. Then the role of topological invariants such as magnetic helicity (which describes the twist and linkage of magnetic structures) is described, together with the conditions for flux and field-line conservation and for reconnection itself. The surprising and crucial differences between 2D and 3D reconnection are highlighted and finally the different regimes for 3D reconnection are summarised.
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Priest, E. (2016). MHD Structures in Three-Dimensional Reconnection. In: Gonzalez, W., Parker, E. (eds) Magnetic Reconnection. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 427. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26432-5_3
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