Collisionless reconnection: Mechanism of self-ignition in thin plane homogeneous current sheets

Abstract

The spontaneous onset of magnetic reconnection in thin plane collisionless current sheets is shown to result from a thermal-anisotropy driven non-relativistic magnetic electron Weibel-mode, generating seed-magnetic field X-points in the centre of the current layer. The proposed mechanism is of larger generality. It also works in the presence of magnetic guide fields. © Author(s) 2010.