(1) Astronomy Centre, University of Sussex, BN1 9QH Brighton, UK;(2) Computing Laboratory, North Haugh, KY16 9SX St. Andrews, UK;(3) Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, North Haugh, KY16 9SS St. Andrews, UK
Abstract:
We show that magnetic field annihilation depends strongly on the behaviour of the vorticity and is quite different in 2D and 3D. In 3D the vorticity can be increased locally by the stretching of vortex lines (an effect that is absent in 2D). This leads to the onset ofcellular flow at quite low vorticities and the fragmentation of the simple current sheet.