Study of coalescence instability in chromospheric partially ionised plasmas
Monday
Abstract details
id
Study of coalescence instability in chromospheric partially ionised plasmas
Date Submitted
2019-03-14 16:48:39
Giulia
Murtas
University of Exeter
Explosive energy release in the solar atmosphere
Talk
Giulia Murtas (University of Exeter), Andrew Hillier (University of Exeter)
Magnetic reconnection is a recurring process taking place in various layers of the solar atmosphere, and plays a fundamental role in driving heating and explosive dynamics. However, unlike the processes occurring in fully-ionised coronal plasmas that have been subjects of extensive studies, still little is known about how magnetic reconnection develops in partially ionised plasmas of the lower atmosphere. In this talk I will investigate the role of partial ionisation on reconnection through the study of the coalescence instability. In a single-fluid MHD approach, this instability forms a turbulent reconnecting current sheet by driving plasmoid interaction, and is a key process that leads to fast reconnection without the addition of further anomalous resistivity terms. I will present my plasmoid simulations, focusing on the current distribution solved for a two-fluid model of the chromosphere, and then show how this new current distribution changes the dynamics of the coalescence process and the development of fast magnetic reconnection.
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