Third Mini-workshop on Magnetic Reconnection

October 25-26, 2012

Theory Conference Room, PPPL

October 25, Thursday

Session I: Current Sheet Dynamics (Chair: F. Mozer)

9:00 H. Ji: Outstanding issues from our last meeting at Berkeley

9:30 J. Jara-Almonte: Flux Ropes and Toroidal Asymmetry in MRX

9:50 V. Roytershteyn: What sets the thickness of reconnection layer in MRX?

10:30 break

10:50 W. Daughton: Collisionless Reconnection in Alfvenic Shear Flows

11:30 All: discussion on current sheet dynamics

12:00 lunch

Session II: Particle Heating and Acceleration (Chair: M. Yamada)

1:30 T. Phan: Electron heating in reconnection: Observations

2:00 M. Shay: Electron heating in reconnection: PIC simulations

2:30 J. Yoo: Ion and electron heating and electrostatic potential structures in MRX

3:10 break

3:30 F. Mozer: A simplified discussion of reconnection and its myths

4:10 All: Discussions on particle heating and acceleration

5:00 end

October 26, Friday

Session III: Guide Field Effects (Chair: W. Daughton)

9:00 M. Yamada: Guide field dependence of reconnection rate and diffusion region structure

9:40 H. Ji: Future experimental plans on reconnection

10:00 C. Myers: Solar flux rope experiment at MRX (including a movie)

10:10 A. Bhattacharjee: Plasmoid and Oblique Flux-Rope Instabilities: Synergism between future MRX experiments and heliophysical observations

10:50 break

11:10 All: Discussion on guide field effects

11:40 All: Summary of future plans

12:30 lunch