Reconnection Rate Model

Analytical and PIC-informed reconnection rate scaling model in kinetic and MHD systems.

Reconnection rate model visualization

Reconnection rate models with thermal corrections built from VPIC benchmarks and analytic models (Li et al., 2021).

active

We pair VPIC, MHD simulations, and reduced theory to understand how plasma beta, guide fields, and drift instabilities affect the canonical reconnection rate.

What’s happening

  • Thermal corrections quantified — Determined how plasma beta modifies the normalized rate in symmetric reconnection.
  • Fast MHD reconnection — Explore how two-fluid and kinetic effects enable fast reconnection in MHD-scale systems.

Resources

VPIC code VPIC Quick Check
  • Fast Reconnection Rate with Thermal Corrections
    X. Li & Y.-H. Liu — ApJ (2021) — read
  • Spreading of Magnetic Reconnection X-lines
    S.-C. Lin, Y.-H. Liu, & X. Li — JGR (2025) — read