Simulation of Magnetic Reconnection with Heat Conduction

Abstract

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations are numerically solved to study 2.5-dimensional magnetic reconnection with field-aligned heat conduction, which is also compared with the adiabatic case. The dynamical evolution starts after anomalous resistivity is introduced into a hydrostatic solar atmosphere with a force-free current sheet, which might be similar to the configuration before some solar flares. The results show that two jets (i.e., the outflows of the reconnection region) appear. The downward jet collides with the closed line-tied field lines, and a bright loop is formed with a termination shock at the loop top. As the reconnection goes on, the loop rises almost uniformly with a speed of tens of km s⁻¹, and the two footpoints of the loop separate with a speed comparable to the loop rise speed. Besides the apparent loop motion, the magnetic loops below the loop top shrink weakly. Such a picture is consistent with that given by observations of two-ribbon solar flares. Moreover, the results indicate that the slow MHD shock contributes to the bright loop heating. Some detailed structures of the reconnection process are also discussed.