München 2019 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
EP: Fachverband Extraterrestrische Physik
EP 9: Poster
EP 9.22: Poster
Thursday, March 21, 2019, 16:30–19:00, Durchgangshalle
Investigation of topology-driven magnetic reconnection with CWENO finite volume numerics — •Raquel Mäusle1, Jean-Mathieu Teissier2, and Wolf-Christian Müller2 — 1Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany — 2Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Magnetic reconnection is a process that changes the magnetic field topology due to finite electrical resistivity in the field's plasma environment. A possible trigger for the onset of reconnection is a high entanglement of the field lines which can exponentially amplify the influence of small resistive effects [Boozer 2012].
This type of topology-driven reconnection is investigated by finite-volume numerics in order to verify the proposed theory. The plasma is described by the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations, in which resistivity is neglected.
A simple numerical setup is used to study this mechanism with 3D simulations, in which the initially constant magnetic field is driven to high entanglement. A fast transition from a stationary state to a chaotic state is observed, which is characterized by locally enhanced current densities, large separations of neighboring field lines and a change in the mapping of foot points. The consequences of these observations and their relation to reconnection dynamics are discussed.