Effects of Ion-to-Electron Mass Ratio on Electron Dynamics in Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection
GUO Jun1, LU Quan-Ming2
1School of Mathematics and Physics, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 2660412School of Earth and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026
Effects of Ion-to-Electron Mass Ratio on Electron Dynamics in Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection
GUO Jun1;LU Quan-Ming2
1School of Mathematics and Physics, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 2660412School of Earth and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026
A 2.5-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation code is used to investigate electron behaviour in collisionless magnetic reconnection. The results show that the ion/electron mass ratio (mi/me) almost has no impact on the reconnection rate, however it can significantly affect electron behaviour in the diffusion region. For the case with larger mass ratio, the width of electron current sheet becomes smaller and the outflow region along the separatrix is smaller, hence the peak of the electron outflow speed is essentially larger. Density cavities and the parallel electric field E// along the separatrix can be found in the case with larger mass ratio, which may have significant influences on the acceleration and heating of the electrons near the X point.
A 2.5-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation code is used to investigate electron behaviour in collisionless magnetic reconnection. The results show that the ion/electron mass ratio (mi/me) almost has no impact on the reconnection rate, however it can significantly affect electron behaviour in the diffusion region. For the case with larger mass ratio, the width of electron current sheet becomes smaller and the outflow region along the separatrix is smaller, hence the peak of the electron outflow speed is essentially larger. Density cavities and the parallel electric field E// along the separatrix can be found in the case with larger mass ratio, which may have significant influences on the acceleration and heating of the electrons near the X point.
GUO Jun;LU Quan-Ming. Effects of Ion-to-Electron Mass Ratio on Electron Dynamics in Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection[J]. 中国物理快报, 2007, 24(11): 3199-3202.
GUO Jun, LU Quan-Ming. Effects of Ion-to-Electron Mass Ratio on Electron Dynamics in Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection. Chin. Phys. Lett., 2007, 24(11): 3199-3202.
[1] Wang S and Lee L C 1999 Magnetic Reconnection (Hefei: AnhuiEducation) (in Chinese) [2] Wei F S, Liu R, Feng X S, Zhong D K and Yang F 2004 Sci.Chin. E 34 353 [3] Sarris E T, Krimigis S M and Armstrong T P 1976 J. Geophys.Res. 81 2342 [4] Krucker S, Hurford G J and Lin R P 2003 Astrophys. J. 595 L103 [5] Hoshino M 1987 J. Geophys. Res. 92 7368 [6] Hesse M, Schindler K, Birn J and Kuznetsova M 1999 Phys.Plasmas 5 1781 [7] Pritchett P L 2001 J. Geophys. Res. 106 3783 [8] Paolo R, Giovanni L and Brackbill J U 2002 Geophys. Res.Lett. 29 3-1 [9] Guo J, Lu Q M, Wang S and Fu X R 2005 Chin. Phys. Lett. 22 409 [10] Fu X R, Guo J and Wang S 2006 Chin. J Space Sci. 26 432 [11] Lu Q M and Wang S 2004 Phys. Plasmas 11 80 [12] Shay M A, Drake J F, Rogers B N and Denton R E 2001 J.Geophys. Res. 106 3759