arXiv subjects

Luca Comisso

Publications and source records attributed to Luca Comisso.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Gravitational electromotive force in magnetic reconnection around Schwarzschild black holes

We analytically explore the effects of the gravitational electromotive force on magnetic reconnection around Schwarzschild black holes through a generalized general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic model that retains two-fluid effects. It is shown that the gravitational electromotive force can couple to collisionless two-fluid effects and drive magnetic reconnection. This is allowed by the departure from quasi-neutrality in curved spacetime, which is explicitly manifested as the emergence of an effective resistivity in Ohm's law. The departure from quasi-neutrality is owed to different gravitational pulls experienced by separate parts of the current layer. This produces an enhancement of the reconnecion rate due to purely gravitational effects.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2018

Role of the Plasmoid Instability in Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence

The plasmoid instability in evolving current sheets has been widely studied due to its effects on the disruption of current sheets, the formation of plasmoids, and the resultant fast magnetic reconnection. In this Letter, we study the role of the plasmoid instability in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence by means of high-resolution direct numerical simulations. At sufficiently large magnetic Reynolds number ($R_m=10^6$), the combined effects of dynamic alignment and turbulent intermittency lead to a copious formation of plasmoids in a multitude of intense current sheets. The disruption of current sheet structures facilitates the energy cascade towards small scales, leading to the breaking and steepening of the energy spectrum. In the plasmoid-mediated regime, the energy spectrum displays a scaling that is close to the spectral index $-2.2$ as proposed by recent analytic theories. We also demonstrate that the scale-dependent dynamic alignment exists in 2D MHD turbulence and the corresponding slope of the alignment angle is close to 0.25.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2018

Particle Acceleration in Relativistic Plasma Turbulence

Due to its ubiquitous presence, turbulence is often invoked to explain the origin of nonthermal particles in astrophysical sources of high-energy emission. With particle-in-cell simulations, we study decaying turbulence in magnetically-dominated (or equivalently, "relativistic") pair plasmas. We find that the generation of a power-law particle energy spectrum is a generic by-product of relativistic turbulence. The power-law slope is harder for higher magnetizations and stronger turbulence levels. In large systems, the slope attains an asymptotic, system-size-independent value, while the high-energy spectral cutoff increases linearly with system size; both the slope and the cutoff do not depend on the dimensionality of our domain. By following a large sample of particles, we show that particle injection happens at reconnecting current sheets; the injected particles are then further accelerated by stochastic interactions with turbulent fluctuations. Our results have important implications for the origin of non-thermal particles in high-energy astrophysical sources.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection in Curved Spacetime and the Effect of Black Hole Rotation

Magnetic reconnection in curved spacetime is studied by adopting a general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic model that retains collisionless effects for both electron-ion and pair plasmas. A simple generalization of the standard Sweet-Parker model allows us to obtain the first order effects of the gravitational field of a rotating black hole. It is shown that the black hole rotation acts as to increase the length of azimuthal reconnection layers, per se leading to a decrease of the reconnection rate. However, when coupled to collisionless thermal-inertial effects, the net reconnection rate is enhanced with respect to what would happen in a purely collisional plasma due to a broadening of the reconnection layer. These findings identify an underlying interaction between gravity and collisionless magnetic reconnection in the vicinity of compact objects.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

A Maximum Entropy Principle for inferring the Distribution of 3D Plasmoids

The Principle of Maximum Entropy, a powerful and general method for inferring the distribution function given a set of constraints, is applied to deduce the overall distribution of 3D plasmoids (flux ropes/tubes) for systems where resistive MHD is applicable and large numbers of plasmoids are produced. The analysis is undertaken for the 3D case, with mass, total flux and velocity serving as the variables of interest, on account of their physical and observational relevance. The distribution functions for the mass, width, total flux and helicity exhibit a power-law behavior with exponents of $-4/3$, $-2$, $-3$ and $-2$ respectively for small values, whilst all of them display an exponential falloff for large values. In contrast, the velocity distribution, as a function of $v = |{\bf v}|$, is shown to be flat for $v \rightarrow 0$, and becomes a power law with an exponent of $-7/3$ for $v \rightarrow \infty$. Most of these results are nearly independent of the free parameters involved in this specific problem. A preliminary comparison of our results with the observational evidence is presented, and some of the ensuing space and astrophysical implications are briefly discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Magnetic Connections in Curved Spacetime

The ideal MHD theorem on the conservation of the magnetic connections between plasma elements is generalized to relativistic plasmas in curved spacetime. The connections between plasma elements, which are established by a covariant connection equation, display a particularly complex structure in curved spacetime. Nevertheless, it is shown that these connections can be interpreted in terms of magnetic field lines alone by adopting a $3+1$ foliation of spacetime.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

Plasmoid Instability in Evolving Current Sheets and Onset of Fast Reconnection

The scaling of plasmoid instability maximum linear growth rate with respect to Lundquist number $S$ in a Sweet-Parker current sheet, $γ_{max}\sim S^{1/4}$, indicates that at high $S$, the current sheet will break apart before it approaches the Sweet-Parker width. Therefore, a proper description for the onset of the plasmoid instability must incorporate the evolving process of the current sheet. We carry out a series of two-dimensional simulations and develop diagnostics to separate fluctuations from an evolving background. It is found that the fluctuation amplitude starts to grow only when the linear growth rate is sufficiently large ($γ_{max}τ_{A}>O(1)$) to overcome convective losses. The linear growth rate continues to rise until the sizes of plasmoids become comparable to the inner layer width of the tearing mode. At this point the current sheet is disrupted and the instability enters the early nonlinear regime. The growth rate suddenly decreases, but the fluctuation amplitude continues to grow until it reaches nonlinear saturation. We identify important time scales of the instability development, as well as scalings for the linear growth rate, current sheet width, and dominant wavenumber at current sheet disruption. These scalings depend on not only the Lundquist number, but also the initial noise amplitude. A phenomenological model that reproduces scalings from simulation results is proposed. The model incorporates the effect of reconnection outflow, which is crucial for yielding a critical Lundquist number $S_{c}$ below which disruption does not occur. The critical Lundquist number $S_{c}$ is not a constant value but has a weak dependence on the noise amplitude.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

Plasmoid Instability in Forming Current Sheets

The plasmoid instability has revolutionized our understanding of magnetic reconnection in astrophysical environments. By preventing the formation of highly elongated reconnection layers, it is crucial in enabling the rapid energy conversion rates that are characteristic of many astrophysical phenomena. Most of the previous studies have focused on Sweet-Parker current sheets, which, however, are unattainable in typical astrophysical systems. Here, we derive a general set of scaling laws for the plasmoid instability in resistive and visco-resistive current sheets that evolve over time. Our method relies on a principle of least time that enables us to determine the properties of the reconnecting current sheet (aspect ratio and elapsed time) and the plasmoid instability (growth rate, wavenumber, inner layer width) at the end of the linear phase. After this phase the reconnecting current sheet is disrupted and fast reconnection can occur. The scaling laws of the plasmoid instability are \emph{not} simple power laws, and depend on the Lundquist number ($S$), the magnetic Prandtl number ($P_m$), the noise of the system ($ψ_0$), the characteristic rate of current sheet evolution ($1/τ$), as well as the thinning process. We also demonstrate that previous scalings are inapplicable to the vast majority of the astrophysical systems. We explore the implications of the new scaling relations in astrophysical systems such as the solar corona and the interstellar medium. In both these systems, we show that our scaling laws yield values for the growth rate, wavenumber, and aspect ratio that are much smaller than the Sweet-Parker based scalings.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Nonlinear Resistivity for Magnetohydrodynamical Models

A new formulation of the plasma resistivity that arises from the collisional momentum-transfer rate between electrons and ions is presented. The resistivity computed herein is shown to depend not only on the temperature and density but also on all other polynomial velocity-space moments of the distribution function, such as the pressure tensor and heat flux vector. The exact expression for the collisional momentum-transfer rate is determined, and is used to formulate the nonlinear anisotropic resistivity. The new formalism recovers the Spitzer resistivity, as well as the concept of thermal force if the heat flux is assumed to be proportional to a temperature gradient. Furthermore, if the pressure tensor is related to viscous stress, the latter enters the expression for the resistivity. The relative importance of the nonlinear term(s) with respect to the well-established electron inertia and Hall terms is also examined. The subtle implications of the nonlinear resistivity, and its dependence on the fluid variables, are discussed in the context of magnetized plasma environments and phenomena such as magnetic reconnection.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

Relativistic Magnetic Reconnection in Kerr Spacetime

The magnetic reconnection process is analyzed for relativistic magnetohydrodynamical plasmas around rotating black holes. A simple generalization of the Sweet-Parker model is used as a first approximation to the problem. The reconnection rate, as well as other important properties of the reconnection layer, have been calculated taking into account the effect of spacetime curvature. Azimuthal and radial current sheet configurations in the equatorial plane of the black hole have been studied, and the case of small black hole rotation rate has been analyzed. For the azimuthal configuration, it is found that the black hole rotation decreases the reconnection rate. On the other hand, in the radial configuration, it is the gravitational force created by the black hole mass that decreases the reconnection rate. These results establish a fundamental interaction between gravity and magnetic reconnection in astrophysical contexts.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

On the Value of the Reconnection Rate

Numerical simulations have consistently shown that the reconnection rate in certain collisionless regimes can be fast, on the order of $0.1 v_A B_u$, where $v_A$ and $B_u$ are the Alfvén speed and the reconnecting magnetic field upstream of the ion diffusion region. This particular value has been reported in myriad numerical simulations under disparate conditions. However, despite decades of research, the reasons underpinning this specific value remain mysterious. Here, we present an overview of this problem and discuss the conditions under which the "0.1 value" is attained. Furthermore, we explain why this problem should be interpreted in terms of the ion diffusion region length.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2016

Fluid moments of the Landau collision operator

One important problem in plasma physics is the lack of an accurate and complete description of Coulomb collisions in associated fluid models. To shed light on the problem, this Letter introduces an integral identity involving the multi-dimensional Hermite tensor polynomials and presents a method for computing exact expressions for the fluid moments of the nonlinear Landau collision operator. The proposed methodology provides a systematic and rigorous means of extending the validity of fluid models that have an underlying inverse-square force particle dynamics to weakly collisional and strong flow regimes.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2016

Visco-Resistive Plasmoid Instability

The plasmoid instability in visco-resistive current sheets is analyzed in both the linear and nonlinear regimes. The linear growth rate and the wavenumber are found to scale as $S^{1/4} {\left( {1 + {P_m}} \right)}^{-5/8}$ and $S^{3/8} {\left( {1 + {P_m}} \right)}^{-3/16}$ with respect to the Lundquist number $S$ and the magnetic Prandtl number $P_m$. Furthermore, the linear layer width is shown to scale as $S^{-1/8} {(1+P_m)}^{1/16}$. The growth of the plasmoids slows down from an exponential growth to an algebraic growth when they enter into the nonlinear regime. In particular, the time-scale of the nonlinear growth of the plasmoids is found to be $τ_{NL} \sim S^{-3/16} {(1 + P_m)^{19/32}}{τ_{A,L}}$. The nonlinear growth of the plasmoids is radically different from the linear one and it is shown to be essential to understand the global current sheet disruption. It is also discussed how the plasmoid instability enables fast magnetic reconnection in visco-resistive plasmas. In particular, it is shown that the recursive plasmoid formation can trigger a collisionless reconnection regime if $S \gtrsim L_{cs} {(ε_c l_k)^{-1}} {(1 + {P_m})^{1/2}}$, where $L_{cs}$ is the half-length of the global current sheet and $l_k$ is the relevant kinetic length scale. On the other hand, if the current sheet remains in the collisional regime, the global (time-averaged) reconnection rate is shown to be $\left\langle {{{\left. {dψ/dt} \right|}_X}} \right\rangle \approx ε_c v_{A,u} B_{u} {(1 + {P_m})^{-1/2}}$, where $ε_c$ is the critical inverse aspect ratio of the current sheet, while $v_{A,u}$ and $B_{u}$ are the Alfvén speed and the magnetic field upstream of the global reconnection layer.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

Generalized Magnetofluid Connections in Pair Plasmas

We extend the magnetic connection theorem of ideal magnetohydrodynamics to nonideal relativistic pair plasmas. Adopting a generalized Ohm's law, we prove the existence of generalized magnetofluid connections that are preserved by the plasma dynamics. We show that these connections are related to a general antisymmetric tensor that unifies the electromagnetic and fluid fields. The generalized magnetofluid connections set important constraints on the plasma dynamics by forbidding transitions between configurations with different magnetofluid connectivity. An approximated solution is explicitly shown where the corrections due to current inertial effects are found.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

Extended theory of the Taylor problem in the plasmoid-unstable regime

A fundamental problem of forced magnetic reconnection has been solved taking into account the plasmoid instability of thin reconnecting current sheets. In this problem, the reconnection is driven by a small amplitude boundary perturbation in a tearing-stable slab plasma equilibrium. It is shown that the evolution of the magnetic reconnection process depends on the external source perturbation and the microscopic plasma parameters. Small perturbations lead to a slow nonlinear Rutherford evolution, whereas larger perturbations can lead to either a stable Sweet-Parker-like phase or a plasmoid phase. An expression for the threshold perturbation amplitude required to trigger the plasmoid phase is derived, as well as an analytical expression for the reconnection rate in the plasmoid-dominated regime. Visco-resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations complement the analytical calculations. The plasmoid formation plays a crucial role in allowing fast reconnection in a magnetohydrodynamical plasma, and the presented results suggest that it may occur and have profound consequences even if the plasma is tearing-stable.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

Generalized Magnetofluid Connections in Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics

The concept of magnetic connections is extended to non-ideal relativistic magnetohydrodynamical plasmas. Adopting a general set of equations for relativistic magnetohydrodynamics including thermal-inertial, thermal electromotive, Hall and current-inertia effects, we derive a new covariant connection equation showing the existence of generalized magnetofluid connections that are preserved during the dissipationless plasma dynamics. These connections are intimately linked to a general antisymmetric tensor that unifies the electromagnetic and fluid fields, allowing the extension of the magnetic connection notion to a much broader concept.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Formation of Plasmoid Chains in Fusion Relevant Plasmas

The formation of plasmoid chains is explored for the first time within the context of the Taylor problem, in which magnetic reconnection is driven by a small amplitude boundary perturbation in a tearing-stable slab plasma equilibrium. Numerical simulations of a magnetohydrodynamical model of the plasma show that for very small plasma resistivity and viscosity, the linear inertial phase is followed by a nonlinear Sweet-Parker evolution, which gives way to a faster reconnection regime characterized by a chain of plasmoids instead of a slower Rutherford phase.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Thermal-inertial effects on magnetic reconnection in relativistic pair plasmas

The magnetic reconnection process is studied in relativistic pair plasmas when the thermal and inertial properties of the magnetohydrodynamical fluid are included. We find that in both Sweet-Parker and Petschek relativistic scenarios there is an increase of the reconnection rate owing to the thermal-inertial effects, both satisfying causality. To characterize the new effects we define a thermal-inertial number which is independent of the relativistic Lundquist number, implying that reconnection can be achieved even for vanishing resistivity as a result of only thermal-inertial effects. The current model has fundamental importance for relativistic collisionless reconnection, as it constitutes the simplest way to get reconnection rates faster than those accessible with the sole resistivity.

physics.plasm-ph↗