Diagnosing Magnetic Reconnection in Simulations of Tokamak Scrape-off Layer

The Gkeyll code has recently demonstrated the first capability to simulate electromagnetic gyrokinetic turbulence in the tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL), so that fluctuations in the magnetic field are accounted for. Including these fluctuations means that there may be magnetic reconnection occurring in these simulations. However, diagnosing magnetic reconnection in these three-dimensional regimes can be very difficult. In this work we develop a set of analysis tools that can search for signatures of reconnection and suggest locations where it may be occurring. This will enable further study of reconnection in the SOL and its impact on SOL dynamics and transport. These analysis tools could also be applied to other systems with three-dimensional magnetic reconnection, such as the solar corona or other astrophysical plasma systems.