Plasma Experiments Reveal What Controls Magnetic Reconnection

• Researchers at Kyushu University used high-power lasers to recreate magnetic reconnection in the lab. The experiments involved firing beams at a carbon target to generate plasma clouds that reconnected. By varying the distance between laser spots, the team altered the density and magnetic field conditions of the plasma entering the reconnection region. The system measured plasma properties along outflows and current sheets, and used energy and mass conservation calculations to determine the upstream magnetic field and reconnection rate.
• The results show that the reconnection rate remains similar even when upstream conditions differ. The team measured how energy released during reconnection was divided between heating the plasma and accelerating it into outflows. This provides experimental evidence for the robustness of the reconnection process.
• The study, published in Physical Review E, offers a benchmark for testing models of magnetic reconnection. It suggests that the rate of reconnection is controlled by local conditions at the reconnection site rather than the properties of the incoming plasma. The findings have implications for understanding space weather and improving predictions of events affecting satellites, communications, and power infrastructure.

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