SM13C-4178:
2D PIC Simulations of Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection for a Force-Free Current Sheet
Monday, 15 December 2014
Fiona Wilson1, Thomas Neukirch1 and Michael Hesse2, (1)University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16, United Kingdom, (2)NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States
Abstract:
We will present some results of two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of magnetic reconnection, starting from a recently found collisionless force-free current sheet equilibrium (for the force-free Harris sheet). A number of features will be discussed, such as the time evolution of the electron pressure tensor, magnetic and electric fields, current density, and reconnection rate. These features are compared with those from a Harris sheet plus guide field simulation.
