Laboratory demonstration of slow rise to fast acceleration of arched magnetic flux ropes

Abstract

We demonstrate the slow rise to fast acceleration of an arched plasma‐filled magnetic flux rope. The flux rope expansion is inhibited by an externally applied customizable strapping field. When the strapping field is not too strong and not too weak, expansion forces build up while the flux rope is in the strapping field region. When the flux rope moves to a critical height beyond the peak strapping field region, the plasma accelerates quickly corresponding to the observed slow rise to fast acceleration of solar eruptions. This behavior is in agreement with the predictions of the torus instability.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Sep 17, 2016
Source ID
10.1002/2016gl069744

Entities

People

  • Bao N. Ha
  • Paul M. Bellan

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • California Institute of Technology
  • National Science Foundation

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Forest Ecology
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Solar Physics