A numerical experiment on oscillatory magnetic reconnection in a laboratory plasma system driven by alternating currents

Using the open-source MPI-AMRVAC framework, we study oscillatory reconnection in a laboratory plasma, which occurs when a magnetic null is perturbed by incoming fast magnetoacoustic waves driven by an alternating current. The magnetic null region collapses to first form a y-directed current sheet that later changes its orientation to the x-direction. The x-directed current sheet has smaller enhanced thermal pressure and out-of-plane current than the y-directed current sheet. The Hall effect produces an out-of-plane plasma flow that evolves with a time lag with respect to the enhanced thermal pressure and out-of-plane current density. Increasing the amplitude of the alternating current produces higher thermal pressure, out-of-plane current density, and out-of-plane plasma flow, while the first peaks of thermal pressure and out-of-plane current density occur earlier.