Viscous effects on plasmoid formation from nonlinear resistive tearing growth in a Harris sheet

Abstract

In this study, the evolution of a highly unstable m = 1 resistive tearing mode, leading to plasmoid formation in a Harris sheet is studied in the framework of full MHD model using the NIMROD simulation. Following the initial nonlinear growth of the primary m = 1 island, the X-point develops into a secondary elongated current sheet that eventually breaks into plasmoids. Two distinctive viscous regimes are found for the plasmoid formation and saturation. In the low viscosity regime (i.e. P r . 1), the plasmoid width increases sharply with viscosity, whereas in the viscosity dominant regime (i.e. P r & 1 ), the plasmoid size gradually decreases with viscosity. Such a finding quantifies the role of viscosity in modulating the plasmoid formation process through its effects on the plasma flow and the reconnection itself.

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