Particle-in-cell simulations of magnetically driven reconnection using laser-powered capacitor coils

摘要

In this paper, we propose an experimental scheme to fulfill magnetically driven reconnections. Here, two laser beams are focused on a capacitor-coil target and then strong currents are wired in two parallel circular coils. Magnetic reconnection occurs between the two magnetic bubbles created by the currents in the two parallel circular coils. A two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation model in the cylindrical coordinate is used to investigate such a process, and the simulations are performed in the (r, z) plane. The results show that with the increase of the currents in the two coils, the associated magnetic bubbles expand and a current sheet is formed between the two bubbles. Magnetic reconnection occurs when the current sheet is sufficiently thin. A quadrupole structure of the magnetic field in the theta direction (B-theta) is generated in the diffusion region and a strong electron current along the r direction (J(er)) is also formed due to the existence of the high-speed electron flow away from the X line in the center of the outflow region. Because the X line is a circle along the theta direction, the convergence of the plasma flow around r = 0 will lead to the asymmetry of J(er) and B-theta between the two outflow regions of magnetic reconnection. Published by AIP Publishing.