The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Phys.
Sec. Space Physics
Volume 12 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fphy.2024.1439949
This article is part of the Research Topic Variability in the Solar Wind and its Impact on the Coupled Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere System View all 5 articles
Analytical Solution of Steady Reconnection Outflows in a Time-Varying Three-Dimensional Reconnection Model with Generalized Spatiotemporal Distributions
Provisionally accepted- 1 Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- 2 State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Science, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
- 3 Shandong Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental mechanism for energy conversion in the realms of space physics, astrophysics, and plasma physics. Over the past few decades, obtaining analytical solutions for three-dimensional (3D) magnetic reconnection has remained a challenging endeavor. Due to the complexity and nonlinearity of the equations, analytical solutions can only be obtained when specific spatiotemporal distributions of magnetic fields or plasma flows are provided. Particularly, the evolution of reconnection flows in timedependent 3D reconnection has not been analytically discussed. Additionally, quasi-steady magnetic reconnection persisting for several hours can be observed in the turbulent solar wind, which raises an important question: can steady reconnection flows theoretically exist in a time-dependent 3D magnetic reconnection model? In this study, a generalized analytical model for time-dependent kinematic 3D magnetic reconnection has been constructed. In the framework of pure analytical approach, it is firstly demonstrated that steady reconnection outflows can theoretically exist within a time-varying magnetic field. We have also analytically discussed the possibility of the existence of quasi-steady reconnection flows in 3D magnetic reconnection for turbulent magnetic fields in the solar wind. These findings broaden our understanding of the stability and necessary conditions for time-dependent 3D magnetic reconnection, offering new insights into quasi-steady reconnection phenomena in real cosmic environments.
Keywords: magnetic reconnection, Analytical solutions, stationary plasma flow, turbulent reconnection, solar wind reconnection
Received: 28 May 2024; Accepted: 27 Aug 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Chen, Wang, Wei, Feng, Zhou, Wang, Zuo, Jiang, Gu, Wang, Song and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yi Wang, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.