Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐Line

Abstract A three‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell simulation is performed to study secondary reconnection between two interlinked flux tubes produced by neighboring guide field reconnection x‐lines. The reconnecting magnetic fields of this secondary reconnection is enhanced toward the diffusion region,...

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Main Authors: Kai Huang, Quanming Lu, Yi‐Hsin Liu, San Lu, Xinmin Li, Huibo Tang, E. Peng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-12-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111812
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author Kai Huang
Quanming Lu
Yi‐Hsin Liu
San Lu
Xinmin Li
Huibo Tang
E. Peng
author_facet Kai Huang
Quanming Lu
Yi‐Hsin Liu
San Lu
Xinmin Li
Huibo Tang
E. Peng
author_sort Kai Huang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract A three‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell simulation is performed to study secondary reconnection between two interlinked flux tubes produced by neighboring guide field reconnection x‐lines. The reconnecting magnetic fields of this secondary reconnection is enhanced toward the diffusion region, agree well with that in observations. The magnetic field pileup is attributed to the upstream magnetic tension force, that smashes the flux tubes into each other. We propose that the primary reconnection x‐line length is a key parameter to determine the formation of interlinked flux tubes and secondary reconnection therein. Interlinked flux tubes will form only if the x‐line is short; when the x‐line is long enough, the regular flux ropes are formed instead. The critical x‐line length to form interlinked flux tubes is determined by the distance between two neighbor x‐lines and the magnetic shear angle of the primary reconnection. The results provide a novel scenario of secondary reconnection generation during three‐dimensional reconnection.
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institution Kabale University
issn 0094-8276
1944-8007
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-022a3647c7fa42709a877c719aab18a32025-08-20T03:46:58ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-12-015123n/an/a10.1029/2024GL111812Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐LineKai Huang0Quanming Lu1Yi‐Hsin Liu2San Lu3Xinmin Li4Huibo Tang5E. Peng6School of Physics Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaDeep Space Exploration Laboratory/School of Earth and Space Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei ChinaDepartment of Physics and Astronomy Dartmouth College Hanover NH USADeep Space Exploration Laboratory/School of Earth and Space Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei ChinaDeep Space Exploration Laboratory/School of Earth and Space Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei ChinaSchool of Physics Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaLaboratory for Space Environment and Physical Sciences Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin ChinaAbstract A three‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell simulation is performed to study secondary reconnection between two interlinked flux tubes produced by neighboring guide field reconnection x‐lines. The reconnecting magnetic fields of this secondary reconnection is enhanced toward the diffusion region, agree well with that in observations. The magnetic field pileup is attributed to the upstream magnetic tension force, that smashes the flux tubes into each other. We propose that the primary reconnection x‐line length is a key parameter to determine the formation of interlinked flux tubes and secondary reconnection therein. Interlinked flux tubes will form only if the x‐line is short; when the x‐line is long enough, the regular flux ropes are formed instead. The critical x‐line length to form interlinked flux tubes is determined by the distance between two neighbor x‐lines and the magnetic shear angle of the primary reconnection. The results provide a novel scenario of secondary reconnection generation during three‐dimensional reconnection.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111812
spellingShingle Kai Huang
Quanming Lu
Yi‐Hsin Liu
San Lu
Xinmin Li
Huibo Tang
E. Peng
Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐Line
Geophysical Research Letters
title Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐Line
title_full Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐Line
title_fullStr Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐Line
title_full_unstemmed Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐Line
title_short Secondary Reconnection Between Interlinked Flux Tubes Driven by Magnetic Reconnection With a Short X‐Line
title_sort secondary reconnection between interlinked flux tubes driven by magnetic reconnection with a short x line
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111812
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AT yihsinliu secondaryreconnectionbetweeninterlinkedfluxtubesdrivenbymagneticreconnectionwithashortxline
AT sanlu secondaryreconnectionbetweeninterlinkedfluxtubesdrivenbymagneticreconnectionwithashortxline
AT xinminli secondaryreconnectionbetweeninterlinkedfluxtubesdrivenbymagneticreconnectionwithashortxline
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