SM028-04
Diffusion Region of Reconnection in the Presence of a Shear Flow

Friday, 11 December 2020: 05:42
Virtual
Michael A Shay, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States, Colby C Haggerty, University of Chicago, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chicago, IL, United States, Paul Cassak, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States, Tai D. Phan, SSL, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States and Prayash Sharma Pyakurel, University of Delaware, Physics and Astronomy, Newark, DE, United States
Recorded Presentation
Abstract:
The presence of flow shear can significantly alter the properties of magnetic reconnection and reduce the reconnection rate. Shear flow reconnection plays an important role in diverse regions of the Heliosphere, from global reconnection at the dayside magnetosphere to highly localized reconnection associated with turbulent fluctuations in the solar wind. Using kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, we have simulated shear flow reconnection for a range of conditions to determine the kinetic signatures and underlying physics of the diffusion region, with a focus on conservation laws. Key observational signatures of shear flow reconnection will be highlighted, as well as implications for reconnection in different regions of the Heliosphere.
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