Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Zenitani, S
• Hoshino, M

Titel

The Role of the Guide Field in Relativistic Pair Plasma Reconnection

Ist Teil von

• The Astrophysical journal, 2008-04, Vol.677 (1), p.530-544

Ort / Verlag

Chicago, IL: IOP Publishing

Erscheinungsjahr

2008

Quelle

Free E-Journal (出版社公開部分のみ）

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• We study the role of the guide field in relativistic magnetic reconnection in a Harris current sheet of pair plasmas, using linear theories and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. Two-dimensional PIC simulations exhibit the guide field dependence to the linear instabilities; the tearing or reconnection modes are relatively insensitive, while the relativistic drift-kink instability (RDKI), the fastest mode in a relativistic current sheet, is stabilized by the guide field. Particle acceleration in the nonlinear stage is also investigated. A three-dimensional PIC simulation demonstrates that the current sheet is unstable to the RDKI, although a small reconnection occurs in the deformed current sheet. Another three-dimensional PIC simulation with a guide field demonstrates a completely different scenario. Secondary magnetic reconnection is triggered by nonlinear coupling of oblique instabilities, which we call the relativistic drift-sausage tearing instability. Therefore, particle acceleration by relativistic guide field reconnection occurs in three-dimensional configuration. Based on the plasma theories, we discuss an important role of the guide field: to enable nonthermal particle acceleration by magnetic reconnection.