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Analysis of Magnetic Reconnections and Compression of Magnetic Islands in the Solar Wind

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Abstract

Physical processes in solar wind plasma lead to magnetic reconnections and the formation of magnetic islands. The role of these processes is especially great in the vicinity of the front of the interplanetary shock wave. An analytical description of such processes requires the solution of the system of nonlinear equations of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The paper continues studies of previous years concerning the analysis of the powerful acceleration of particles of solar wind. In the paper, a two-dimensional stationary system of nonlinear MHD equations for a thin layer located before the front of the interplanetary shock wave is considered. The solution is constructed in three cases: (1) in the absence of magnetic reconnections; (2) in the presence of magnetic reconnections; (3) with the simultaneous effect of reconnections and contractings of magnetic islands. In all three cases, explicit expressions for the main parameters of the solar wind are found. It is established that, in the vicinity of the shock front, the magnetic reconnection is the main factor of accelerating the particles of the solar wind.

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Molotkov, I.A. Analysis of Magnetic Reconnections and Compression of Magnetic Islands in the Solar Wind. Russ. J. Math. Phys. 25, 233–238 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1061920818020073

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1061920818020073

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