The Theory of Magnetic Reconnection Onset: Three Dimensional and Diamagnetic Effects

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。提出的研究将检验在弱碰撞等离子体中，三维和反磁效应对磁重联发生的作用。重联是一种基本的等离子体过程，它在核聚变装置的锯齿状碰撞、太阳耀斑和磁层亚暴中将磁能转化为粒子和流能，这使得它在从可持续能源到空间天气的各种主题中都很重要。虽然我们已经了解了很多，但一些基本问题仍未得到解答，比如为什么重新连接往往是突然开始的。这一建议的目的是发展的三维和反磁效应对重联开始的定量理解。本项目的两个部分交织在一起，包括大规模双流体模拟，与实验室数据的比较，以及分析理论的发展。与麻省理工学院的J. Egedal教授合作，通过模拟和与VTF数据的比较，研究了三维重连发生的条件。利用模拟和解析理论研究了抗磁效应。将对锯齿状碰撞进行预测，并与DIII-D托卡马克数据进行比较。拟议的活动通过资助两名研究生来促进培训和学习，这将有助于在西弗吉尼亚大学物理系建立一个由教员管理的研究小组，专门研究空间和实验室等离子体的理论和模拟。外联部分将为西弗吉尼亚大学汤钦天文馆制作材料，用于向公众和学校团体进行外联和招聘的演示。该提案已提交给NSF-DoE等离子体科学与工程合作项目联合招标08-589。该奖项由数学和物理科学理事会物理部和地球科学理事会大气科学部联合资助

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The proposed research will examine the role of three-dimensional and diamagnetic effects on the onset of magnetic reconnection in weakly collisional plasmas. Reconnection is a fundamental plasma process that converts magnetic energy into particle and flow energy in sawtooth crashes in fusion devices, solar flares, and magnetospheric substorms, making it important for topics ranging from sustainable energy to space weather. While much has been learned, fundamental questions remain unanswered, such as why reconnection often begins explosively. The objective of this proposal is to develop a quantitative understanding of three-dimensional and diamagnetic effects on reconnection onset. The two parts to this project interweave large-scale two-fluid simulations, comparisons with laboratory data, and development of analytical theory. The condition for reconnection onset in three-dimensions is studied using simulations and comparisons with VTF data under collaboration with Prof. J. Egedal of MIT. Diamagnetic effects are studied using simulations and analytic theory. Predictions for the sawtooth crash will be made and compared to DIII-D tokamak data. The proposed activity promotes training and learning through the funding of two graduate students, which will help to establish a faculty-run research group dedicated to theory and simulations of space and laboratory plasmas in the Department of Physics at West Virginia University. The outreach portion will produce materials for the WVU Tomchin Planetarium for use in presentations to the general public and school groups for outreach and recruiting.This proposal was submitted to the NSF-DoE Partnership in Plasma Science and Engineering joint solicitation 08-589. This award is being funded jointly by the Division of Physics of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate and by Atmospheric Sciences Division of the Geosciences Directorate