Quantifying flux rope characteristics in relativistic 3D reconnection simulations

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:25030133,
            doi = {10.48660/25030133},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/25030133},
            author = {Vos, Jesse},
            keywords = {},
            language = {en},
            title = {Quantifying flux rope characteristics in relativistic 3D reconnection simulations},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2025},
            month = {mar},
            note = {PIRSA:25030133 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

Plasmoid-dominated magnetic reconnection is known to convert magnetic energy into heat and kinetic energy and is thought to be closely related to high-energy emission features originating near compact objects. We present preliminary results of high-resolution special-relativistic resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations of reconnecting 3D current sheets starting from a Harris equilibrium. We focussed on identifying and quantifying flux rope structures and how the properties of produced magnetosonic waves (potentially generating winds around compact objects) rely on the underlying plasma description. We show that while the initial stage does not differ substantially from 2D results, a secondary turbulent reconnection phase can only be studied in 3D.