Plasmoid Formation and Strong Radiative Cooling in a Driven Magnetic Reconnection Experiment

R. Datta; K. Chandler; C. E. Myers; J. P. Chittenden; A. J. Crilly; C. Aragon; D. J. Ampleford; J. T. Banasek; A. Edens; W. R. Fox; S. B. Hansen; E. C. Harding; C. A. Jennings; H. Ji; C. C. Kuranz; S. V. Lebedev; Q. Looker; S. G. Patel; A. Porwitzky; G. A. Shipley; D. A. Uzdensky; D. A. Yager-Elorriaga; J. D. Hare

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155102

Plasmoid Formation and Strong Radiative Cooling in a Driven Magnetic Reconnection Experiment

R. Datta, K. Chandler, C. E. Myers, J. P. Chittenden, A. J. Crilly, C. Aragon, D. J. Ampleford, J. T. Banasek, A. Edens, W. R. Fox, S. B. Hansen, E. C. Harding, C. A. Jennings, H. Ji, C. C. Kuranz, S. V. Lebedev, Q. Looker, S. G. Patel, A. Porwitzky, G. A. ShipleyD. A. Uzdensky, D. A. Yager-Elorriaga, J. D. Hare

Astrophysical Sciences

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Abstract

We present the first experimental study of plasmoid formation in a magnetic reconnection layer undergoing rapid radiative cooling, a regime relevant to extreme astrophysical plasmas. Two exploding aluminum wire arrays, driven by the Z machine, generate a reconnection layer (SL≈120) in which the cooling rate far exceeds the hydrodynamic transit rate (τhydro/τcool>100). The reconnection layer generates a transient burst of >1 keV x-ray emission, consistent with the formation and subsequent rapid cooling of the layer. Time-gated x-ray images show fast-moving (up to 50 km s-1) hotspots in the layer, consistent with the presence of plasmoids in 3D resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. X-ray spectroscopy shows that these hotspots generate the majority of Al K-shell emission (around 1.6 keV) prior to the onset of cooling, and exhibit temperatures (170 eV) much greater than that of the plasma inflows and the rest of the reconnection layer, thus providing insight into the generation of high-energy radiation in radiatively cooled reconnection events.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	155102
Journal	Physical review letters
Volume	132
Issue number	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155102
State	Published - Apr 12 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Physics and Astronomy

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155102

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Datta, R., Chandler, K., Myers, C. E., Chittenden, J. P., Crilly, A. J., Aragon, C., Ampleford, D. J., Banasek, J. T., Edens, A., Fox, W. R., Hansen, S. B., Harding, E. C., Jennings, C. A., Ji, H., Kuranz, C. C., Lebedev, S. V., Looker, Q., Patel, S. G., Porwitzky, A., ... Hare, J. D. (2024). Plasmoid Formation and Strong Radiative Cooling in a Driven Magnetic Reconnection Experiment. Physical review letters, 132(15), Article 155102. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155102

@article{84cf115ddd3d4037a1ef8936381d03ed,

title = "Plasmoid Formation and Strong Radiative Cooling in a Driven Magnetic Reconnection Experiment",

abstract = "We present the first experimental study of plasmoid formation in a magnetic reconnection layer undergoing rapid radiative cooling, a regime relevant to extreme astrophysical plasmas. Two exploding aluminum wire arrays, driven by the Z machine, generate a reconnection layer (SL≈120) in which the cooling rate far exceeds the hydrodynamic transit rate (τhydro/τcool>100). The reconnection layer generates a transient burst of >1 keV x-ray emission, consistent with the formation and subsequent rapid cooling of the layer. Time-gated x-ray images show fast-moving (up to 50 km s-1) hotspots in the layer, consistent with the presence of plasmoids in 3D resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. X-ray spectroscopy shows that these hotspots generate the majority of Al K-shell emission (around 1.6 keV) prior to the onset of cooling, and exhibit temperatures (170 eV) much greater than that of the plasma inflows and the rest of the reconnection layer, thus providing insight into the generation of high-energy radiation in radiatively cooled reconnection events.",

author = "R. Datta and K. Chandler and Myers, {C. E.} and Chittenden, {J. P.} and Crilly, {A. J.} and C. Aragon and Ampleford, {D. J.} and Banasek, {J. T.} and A. Edens and Fox, {W. R.} and Hansen, {S. B.} and Harding, {E. C.} and Jennings, {C. A.} and H. Ji and Kuranz, {C. C.} and Lebedev, {S. V.} and Q. Looker and Patel, {S. G.} and A. Porwitzky and Shipley, {G. A.} and Uzdensky, {D. A.} and Yager-Elorriaga, {D. A.} and Hare, {J. D.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 American Physical Society.",

year = "2024",

month = apr,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155102",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "132",

journal = "Physical review letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "15",

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Datta, R, Chandler, K, Myers, CE, Chittenden, JP, Crilly, AJ, Aragon, C, Ampleford, DJ, Banasek, JT, Edens, A, Fox, WR, Hansen, SB, Harding, EC, Jennings, CA, Ji, H, Kuranz, CC, Lebedev, SV, Looker, Q, Patel, SG, Porwitzky, A, Shipley, GA, Uzdensky, DA, Yager-Elorriaga, DA & Hare, JD 2024, 'Plasmoid Formation and Strong Radiative Cooling in a Driven Magnetic Reconnection Experiment', Physical review letters, vol. 132, no. 15, 155102. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155102

TY - JOUR

T1 - Plasmoid Formation and Strong Radiative Cooling in a Driven Magnetic Reconnection Experiment

AU - Datta, R.

AU - Chandler, K.

AU - Myers, C. E.

AU - Chittenden, J. P.

AU - Crilly, A. J.

AU - Aragon, C.

AU - Ampleford, D. J.

AU - Banasek, J. T.

AU - Edens, A.

AU - Fox, W. R.

AU - Hansen, S. B.

AU - Harding, E. C.

AU - Jennings, C. A.

AU - Ji, H.

AU - Kuranz, C. C.

AU - Lebedev, S. V.

AU - Looker, Q.

AU - Patel, S. G.

AU - Porwitzky, A.

AU - Shipley, G. A.

AU - Uzdensky, D. A.

AU - Yager-Elorriaga, D. A.

AU - Hare, J. D.

PY - 2024/4/12

Y1 - 2024/4/12

N2 - We present the first experimental study of plasmoid formation in a magnetic reconnection layer undergoing rapid radiative cooling, a regime relevant to extreme astrophysical plasmas. Two exploding aluminum wire arrays, driven by the Z machine, generate a reconnection layer (SL≈120) in which the cooling rate far exceeds the hydrodynamic transit rate (τhydro/τcool>100). The reconnection layer generates a transient burst of >1 keV x-ray emission, consistent with the formation and subsequent rapid cooling of the layer. Time-gated x-ray images show fast-moving (up to 50 km s-1) hotspots in the layer, consistent with the presence of plasmoids in 3D resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. X-ray spectroscopy shows that these hotspots generate the majority of Al K-shell emission (around 1.6 keV) prior to the onset of cooling, and exhibit temperatures (170 eV) much greater than that of the plasma inflows and the rest of the reconnection layer, thus providing insight into the generation of high-energy radiation in radiatively cooled reconnection events.

AB - We present the first experimental study of plasmoid formation in a magnetic reconnection layer undergoing rapid radiative cooling, a regime relevant to extreme astrophysical plasmas. Two exploding aluminum wire arrays, driven by the Z machine, generate a reconnection layer (SL≈120) in which the cooling rate far exceeds the hydrodynamic transit rate (τhydro/τcool>100). The reconnection layer generates a transient burst of >1 keV x-ray emission, consistent with the formation and subsequent rapid cooling of the layer. Time-gated x-ray images show fast-moving (up to 50 km s-1) hotspots in the layer, consistent with the presence of plasmoids in 3D resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. X-ray spectroscopy shows that these hotspots generate the majority of Al K-shell emission (around 1.6 keV) prior to the onset of cooling, and exhibit temperatures (170 eV) much greater than that of the plasma inflows and the rest of the reconnection layer, thus providing insight into the generation of high-energy radiation in radiatively cooled reconnection events.

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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85190326408&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155102

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.155102

M3 - Article

C2 - 38683000

AN - SCOPUS:85190326408

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 132

JO - Physical review letters

JF - Physical review letters

IS - 15

M1 - 155102

ER -

Plasmoid Formation and Strong Radiative Cooling in a Driven Magnetic Reconnection Experiment

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