Bibcode
DOI
Archontis, V.; Galsgaard, K.; Moreno-Insertis, F.; Hood, A. W.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 645, Issue 2, pp. L161-L164.
Advertised on:
7
2006
Journal
Citations
37
Refereed citations
33
Description
We present clear evidence of the formation of three-dimensional (3D)
plasmoids in the current sheet between two magnetic flux systems in a 3D
numerical experiment of flux emergence into the solar atmosphere and
study their properties and time evolution. Plasmoids are most likely the
result of resistive tearing mode instabilities. They adopt the shape of
a solenoid contained within the current sheet: the solenoid is tightly
wound when the field in the two flux systems is close to antiparallel.
The plasmoids are expelled to the sides of the sheet as a result of a
reconnection imbalance between the two x-lines on their sides. We show
the complex, 3D field line geometry in various plasmoids: individual
plasmoid field lines have external linkages to the flux system on either
side of the current sheet; we also find field lines that go through a
few plasmoids in succession, probably indicating that the field line has
resulted from multiple reconnection events.