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Fluid simulations of three-dimensional reconnection that capture the lower-hybrid drift instability

Part of: Focus on Plasma Astrophysics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2021

F. Allmann-Rahn ,
S. Lautenbach Open the ORCID record for S. Lautenbach [Opens in a new window] ,
R. Grauer Open the ORCID record for R. Grauer [Opens in a new window]  and
R. D. Sydora Open the ORCID record for R. D. Sydora [Opens in a new window]
F. Allmann-Rahn*
Affiliation:
Institute for Theoretical Physics I, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
S. Lautenbach
Affiliation:
Institute for Theoretical Physics I, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
R. Grauer
Affiliation:
Institute for Theoretical Physics I, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
R. D. Sydora
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 2E1, Canada
*
†Email address for correspondence: far@tp1.rub.de
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Abstract

Fluid models that approximate kinetic effects have received attention recently in the modelling of large-scale plasmas such as planetary magnetospheres. In three-dimensional reconnection, both reconnection itself and current sheet instabilities need to be represented appropriately. We show that a heat flux closure based on pressure gradients enables a 10-moment fluid model to capture key properties of the lower-hybrid drift instability (LHDI) within a reconnection simulation. Characteristics of the instability are examined with kinetic and fluid continuum models, and its role in the three-dimensional reconnection simulation is analysed. The saturation level of the electromagnetic LHDI is higher than expected, which leads to strong kinking of the current sheet. Therefore, the magnitude of the initial perturbation has significant impact on the resulting turbulence.

Keywords

plasma instabilitiesspace plasma physicsplasma simulation
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 87 , Issue 1 , February 2021 , 905870115
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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