Resistive scales for collisionless reconnection in space plasma

Abstract

We derive restrictions on collisional reconnection under the conditions in near-Earth space. The arguments are based on the precise definition and estimates of the resistive scale $L_{\eta }$ at the ion inertial site in collisionless reconnection, i.e. in the so-called `ion diffusion region' which is the region of Hall-current flow.

5 pages, 1 figure, LaTex manuscript submitted for publication to EPL