MHD simulations of tearing mode instability

Chun-Kai Chang^1*, Lin-Ni Hau^1,2

¹Department of Space Science and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan city, Taiwan
²Department of Physics, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan

* Presenter:Chun-Kai Chang, email:chunkai13@g.ncu.edu.tw

Tearing mode instability is one kind of magnetic reconnection processes in space and astrophysical plasma environments. The Harris sheet model with antiparallel magnetic field may tend to develop tearing mode instability. In this study, we investigate the tearing mode instability in Harris sheet equilibrium using two-dimensional, resistive MHD models with isotropic pressure. The linear growth rate and eigenmode structures are calculated from linear numerical model which are used as initial perturbations of the nonlinear MHD model to examine the full evolution of tearing mode instability. Special focuses are to examine the effects of background density profiles and the adopted energy equations on the linear growth rates, nonlinear evolution and saturation of the tearing mode instability.

Keywords: MHD, space plasma, tearing mode instability, simulation, magnetic reconnection