Kink-driven magnetic reconnection as a driver of a plasma jet eruption at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

POSTER

Abstract

We present the progress of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's (ERAU) plasma jet experiment. The study shows that kink-driven magnetic reconnection serves as an eruption mechanism for a laboratory jet. A flux rope forms, evolving into a filamentary jet. The jet destabilizes due to kink instability when the Kruskal-Shafranov criterion is satisfied, causing an inflow of reconnecting magnetic fields. This kink-driven reconnection energizes ions significantly, enhancing jet acceleration. Based on strong observational evidence from this experiment, we propose that kink-driven magnetic reconnection could be a fundamental driver of laboratory jet eruptions and might also be relevant to solar jets involving kink instability and magnetic reconnection. We invite discussions and feedback on these findings.

*This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Sciences, Office of Fusion Energy Science under Award Number DE-SC0022952, the Florida Space Grant Consortium as funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by Cooperative Agreement number 80NSSC20M0093, the ERAU Faculty Innovation grants, and the Center for Space and Atmospheric Research at ERAU.

Publication: [1] Byonghoon Seo, Mario Avila, Trevor Clevenger, Connor Castleberry, Christopher Lamb, Muanye Ma, katariina Nykyri, Aroh Barjatya, and Daewoong Kim, ``A new single flux rope experiment for studying the dynamics of a magnetized plasma jet", Review of Scientific Instruments, 96, 053505, (2025)

[2] Mario Avila, Byonghoon Seo, ``Spatially resolved ion temperature in a kink-unstable magnetized plasma jet using ion Doppler spectroscopy", Review of Scientific Instruments. 96, 033509, (2025)

[3] Byonghoon Seo, Mario Avila, Pradeep Kayshap, Jongsoo Yoo, Trevor Clevenger, Xuanye Ma, Aroh Barjatya, and Daewoong Kim, ``Kink-driven magnetic reconnection as the driver of laboratory plasma eruptions", Astrophysical Journal, in revision

Presenters

  • Byonghoon Seo

    • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

Authors

  • Byonghoon Seo

    • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

  • Trevor Lewis Clevenger

    • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

  • Mario Avila

    • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

  • William C Baker

    • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Da

  • Nathan D Clark

    • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

  • Xuanye Ma

    • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University