| Astrophysics (Index) | About |
Magnetic reconnection is the spontaneous adjustment of field lines in a magnetic field. Magnetic reconnections around the Sun result in solar flares and analogously, those around Earth result in the auroras. A reconnection event can convert magnetic energy to kinetic and thermal energy.
Magnetic field lines form closed loops. To imagine an example of their reconnection, think of an oval-shaped loop that breaks in half, with the loose ends joining so two circles are formed. However, such a reconnection is most likely if the loop is squeezed into an hourglass-like shape with portions of a loop's route close together, or the loop is twisted so the lines cross, forming a figure eight: it is these nearby or touching portions of the loop that are likely to reconnect, forming two loops out of one. Such a reconnection is most likely if the resulting configuration holds less potential energy. Rotation of a magnetized body that has surrounding plasma is an ideal natural environment for producing such reconnections, examples being the Sun, and also the Earth, given its plasma ionosphere. Magnetic fields of such bodies are generally chaotic, exhibiting phenomena that are challenging to predict. Much effort is put into understanding and modeling bodies' magnetic-field phenomena, including magnetic reconnection.