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Detailed Reference Information
Cothran et al. 2003
Cothran, C.D., Landreman, M., Brown, M.R. and Matthaeus, W.H. (2003). Three-dimensional structure of magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma. Geophysical Research Letters 30: doi: 10.1029/2002GL016497. issn: 0094-8276.

The local three-dimensional structure of magnetic reconnection has been measured for the first time in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) laboratory plasma at the Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment. An array of 600 magnetic probes which resolve ion inertial length and MHD time scale dynamics on a single shot basis measured the magnetic structure of partial spheromak merging events. Counter-helicity spheromaks merge rapidly, and reconnection activity clearly self-generates a local component of B which breaks the standard 2D symmetry at the ion inertial scale. Consistent with prior results, no reconnection is observed for co-helicity merging.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Space Plasma Physics, Magnetic reconnection, Space Plasma Physics, Laboratory studies, Electromagnetics, Optics
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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