Abstract
The problem of pressure limitations on the rate of flux pile-up magnetic reconnection is studied. We first examine the recent suggestion of Jardine and Allen (1998) for moderating the build-up of magnetic pressure in the current sheet by considering inflows with nonzero vorticity. An analytic argument shows, however, that unbounded magnetic pressures in the limit of small resistivities can be avoided only at the cost of unphysical dynamic pressures in the plasma. Hence, the pressure limitation on the reconnection rate in a low-beta plasma cannot be avoided completely. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that reconnection can be more rapid in a new solution that balances the build-up in dynamic pressure against both the plasma and magnetic pressures. This exact MHD solution has the characteristics of merging driven by the coalescence instability. The maximum energy release rate of the model is capable of explaining a modest solar flare.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, C., and Priest, E. R.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 19395.
Biskamp, D.: 1994, Phys. Reports 4, 237.
Biskamp, D. and Welter, H.: 1980, Phys. Rev. Lett. 44, 1069.
Clark, A.: 1964, Phys. Fluids 7, 1299.
Craig, I. J. D. and Fabling, R. B.: 1996, Astrophys. J. 462, 969.
Craig, I. J. D. and Fabling, R. B.: 1998, Phys. Plasmas 5, 635.
Craig, I. J. D. and Henton, S. M.: 1995, Astrophys. J. 450, 280.
Craig, I. J. D. and Watson, P. G.: 1999, Astrophys. J. 516, 924.
Craig, I. J. D., Fabling, R. B., and Watson, P. G.: 1997, Astrophys. J. 485, 383.
Forbes, T. G.: 1982, J. Plasma Phys. 27, 491.
Hill, T. W.: 1975, J. Geophys. Res. 80, 4689.
Inverarity, G. W. and Priest, E. R.: 1996, Phys. Plasmas 3, 3591.
Jardine, M.: 1994, J. Plasma Phys. 51, 399.
Jardine, M. and Allen, H. R.: 1998, Solar Phys. 177, 441.
Jardine, M., Allen, H. R., Grundy, R. E., and Priest, E. R.: 1992, J. Geophys. Res. 97, 4199.
Litvinenko, Y. E.: 1999, Solar Phys. 186, 291.
Litvinenko, Y. E.: 1999, Astrophys. J. 515, 435.
Litvinenko, Y. E. and Somov, B. V.: 1994, Solar Phys. 151, 265.
Litvinenko, Y. E., Forbes, T. G., and Priest, E. R.: 1996, Solar Phys. 167, 445.
Lottermoser, R.-F., Scholer, M., and Matthews, A. P.: 1998, J. Geophys. Res. 103, 4547.
Ma, Z. W. and Bhattacharjee, A.: 1996a, Geophys. Res. Letters 23, 1673.
Ma, Z. W. and Bhattacharjee, A.: 1996b, Geophys. Res. Letters 23, 2955.
McClymont, A. N. and Craig, I. J. D.: 1996a, in R. Bentley and J. Mariska (eds.), Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar Atmosphere, Bath, England, 20-22 March (96); PASP Conference Series 111, 268.
McClymont, A. N. and Craig, I. J. D.: 1996b, Astrophys. J. 466, 487.
Parker, E. N.: 1973, J. Plasma Phys. 9, 49.
Priest, E. R. and Forbes, T. G.: 1986, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 5579.
Rickard, G. J. and Craig, I. J. D.: 1993, Phys. Fluids B5, 956.
Sonnerup, B. U. Ö. and Priest, E. R.: 1975, J. Plasma Phys. 14, 283.
Wang, X. and Bhattacharjee, A.: 1994, Astrophys. J. 420, 415.
Watson, P. G. and Craig, I. J. D.: 1996, Phys. Plasmas 4, 101.
Zweibel, E. G.: 1998, Phys. Plasmas 5, 247.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Litvinenko, Y.E., Craig, I. Magnetic Energy Release in Flux Pile-up Merging. Solar Physics 189, 315–329 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005258504535
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005258504535