Long term evolution of the magnetized Kelvin-Helmholtz instability with resistivity (Q1368960)

The magnetohydrodynamic reconnection induced by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the parallel uniform magnetic field configuration is investigated by using computational modeling. The authors use two-dimensional MHD equations for compressible inviscid plasma with finite resistivity. Four different cases of initial magnetic field are considered: three for a uniform field, and one for a sheared field. Investigations are restricted by assumption of two-dimensional disturbances and constant resistivity. The flux-connected transport method was incorporated into the MHD simulation. For the Cartesian frame of reference, the authors use a simulation box composed of \(104\times 104\) grid points together with the boundary conditions imposed on the two outermost grid points by employing a physical domain with \(100\times 100\) grid points. The long time evolutions are traced which are different for the uniform and non-uniform cases. The electromagnetic stress is dominant in the uniform field case, whereas the hydrodynamic stress is dominant in the sheared flow case. For the uniform magnetic field the simulations show, when the magnetic field is not very strong, that the magnetic field lines wrapped around the Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices become reconnected and flattened. When the magnetic field is strong, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is suppressed. In the non-uniform field geometry, the most dramatic changes are observed when the magnetic field is not strong. The magnetic reconnection generates magnetic islands which are transported towards weak magnetic field regions where islands of small scales disappear due to strong diffusion. The final magnetic shear layer becomes broader than that in the initial configuration.