Experimental studies of magnetic and electrostatic fluctuations on the VTF reconnection experiment

We present studies of magnetic and electrostatic fluctuations observed during reconnection in the new closed magnetic configuration of the VTF experiment at MIT [1]. We have observed fairly steady magnetic fluctuations near the lower hybrid frequency ($\sim$~10~MHz) punctuated by bursts of higher frequency fluctuations in the Buneman range, $(m_e/m_i)^{1/3}f_{pe}$, $\sim$~200~MHz. Experiments are underway to study tip-tip correlations on the RF probes and also between fluctuation level and reconnection rate. In addition, the higher frequency modes may indicate the creation of superthermal electron populations during reconnection; we are now installing detectors for soft x-ray Bremsstrahlung. Finally, we present conclusions of previous studies of electron momentum balance during driven reconnection for the open field line configuration of VTF [2]. \newline \newline [1] J. Egedal, et al. (2006) Laboratory observations of spontaneous magnetic reconnection. Submitted to {\it Phys. Rev. Lett.} \newline [2] J. Egedal, et al. (2000) {\it Rev. Sci. Instrum.} 71, 3351.