a Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Außenstelle Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 5, 12489, Berlin, Germany
b Geophysical Institute and Department of Physics, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, U.S.A.
Abstract:
In some recent MHD simulations of the near-Earth plasma sheet we studied onset and evolution of reconnection due to non-linear resistive instabilities. In our present contribution we show that these non-linear instabilities can be amplified significantly by inflow through the plasma sheet boundary and we discuss the consequences of that driving mechanism on the global dynamics of the instabilities. For high magnetic Reynolds numbers we find thin current sheets developing.