Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: 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., Shipley, G. A., Uzdensky, D. A., Yager-Elorriaga, D. A., Hare, J. D.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.04643
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866917562778910720
author 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.
Shipley, G. A.
Uzdensky, D. A.
Yager-Elorriaga, D. A.
Hare, J. D.
author_facet 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.
Shipley, G. A.
Uzdensky, D. A.
Yager-Elorriaga, D. A.
Hare, J. D.
contents We present results from the first experimental study of strongly radiatively-cooled magnetic reconnection. Two exploding aluminum wire arrays, driven simultaneously by the Z machine ($I_{max} = 20 \, \text{MA}$, $t_{\text{rise}} = 300 \, \text{ns}$), generate a radiatively-cooled reconnection layer ($S_L \approx 120$) in which the total cooling rate exceeds the hydrodynamic transit rate ($τ_{\text{hydro}}/τ_{\text{cool}} > 100$). Measurements of X-ray emission from the reconnection layer using a filtered diode ($>1$ keV) show a narrow (50 ns FWHM) burst of emission at 220 ns after current start, consistent with the formation and subsequent rapid cooling of the reconnection layer. Time-gated X-ray images of the reconnection layer show fast-moving (up to 50 km/s) hotspots inside the layer, consistent with the presence of plasmoids observed in 3D resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. X-ray spectroscopy shows that these hotspots generate the majority of Al K-shell emission (at around 1.6 keV) prior to the onset of cooling, and exhibit temperatures of 170 eV, much greater than the temperature of the plasma inflows and the rest of the reconnection layer.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_04643
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Plasmoid formation and strong radiative cooling in a driven magnetic reconnection experiment
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.
Shipley, G. A.
Uzdensky, D. A.
Yager-Elorriaga, D. A.
Hare, J. D.
Plasma Physics
We present results from the first experimental study of strongly radiatively-cooled magnetic reconnection. Two exploding aluminum wire arrays, driven simultaneously by the Z machine ($I_{max} = 20 \, \text{MA}$, $t_{\text{rise}} = 300 \, \text{ns}$), generate a radiatively-cooled reconnection layer ($S_L \approx 120$) in which the total cooling rate exceeds the hydrodynamic transit rate ($τ_{\text{hydro}}/τ_{\text{cool}} > 100$). Measurements of X-ray emission from the reconnection layer using a filtered diode ($>1$ keV) show a narrow (50 ns FWHM) burst of emission at 220 ns after current start, consistent with the formation and subsequent rapid cooling of the reconnection layer. Time-gated X-ray images of the reconnection layer show fast-moving (up to 50 km/s) hotspots inside the layer, consistent with the presence of plasmoids observed in 3D resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. X-ray spectroscopy shows that these hotspots generate the majority of Al K-shell emission (at around 1.6 keV) prior to the onset of cooling, and exhibit temperatures of 170 eV, much greater than the temperature of the plasma inflows and the rest of the reconnection layer.
title Plasmoid formation and strong radiative cooling in a driven magnetic reconnection experiment
topic Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.04643