Formation of a reconnection layer in colliding supersonic magnetised plasma flows: laboratory experiments
L. SUTTLE, J. D. HARE, S. V. LEBEDEV, et al., Plasma Physics Group, Imperial College London
We present recent data from laboratory astrophysics experiments carried out at the MAGPIE pulsed power facility at Imperial College, designed to study the quasi-1D collision of two counter-streaming magnetised plasma flows.
These plasma flows are strongly driven, supersonic, with frozen-in, oppositely aligned magnetic fields which are perpendicular to the direction of the flow.
Their collision results in the formation of a dense and stable stagnation layer, where we observe the annihilation of magnetic flux accompanied by an increase in plasma temperature and fast outflow of material along the layer, characteristic of reconnection events.
In our talk we will discuss detailed spatially and temporally resolved measurements of the plasma parameters both upstream and inside of the layer using laser interferometry, Faraday rotation and Thomson scattering diagnostics.