FLARE: a collaborative research facility to study magnetic reconnection and related phenomena

Abstract:

The FLARE device (Facility for LAboratory Reconnection Experiments; flare.pppl.gov) is a new experimental device constructed at Princeton University for the study of magnetic reconnection in the multiple X-line regimes, directly relevant to space, solar, astrophysical, and fusion plasmas. The first plasma operation was successfully conducted to validate the engineering design and to demonstrate access to parameter space beyond its predecessor, MRX. The device has been relocated to PPPL while the power supplies are being upgraded to access new multiple X-line regimes in the reconnection phase diagram. A progress update including available diagnostics to provide {\it simultaneous} and {\it in-situ} measurements over global MHD scales, intermediate ion scales, and local electron scales and the operation plan as a collaborative research facility will be presented. A concise summary of recent progress in quantifying statistical properties of the new regimes from both observations and numerical simulations, including distribution functions of plasmoids or magnetic structures, and magnetic dissipation with regards to magnetic structures, will be given to provide the relevant scientific context. Specific numerical predictions using the state-of-the-art particle-in-cell code, VPIC, will be discussed to guide the first physics operation of FLARE.