Simulations of Magnetic Reconnection in Kink Instability for ERAU's Plasma Jet Experiment

Magnetic reconnection is one of the most fundamental processes in plasma physics, which converts magnetic energy into thermal energy. In Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's plasma jet experiment, significant ion heating has been observed when plasma jets undergo magnetic reconnection, which is presumably caused by the nonlinear kink instability. To better understand the key parameters that affect the growth of the kink instability in the experimental environment, a study with a broad parameter space in a relatively cheap manner is helpful. Thus, we carried out a series of MHD simulations for the kink instability and systematically explored the role of the key parameters (e.g., the background plasma beta and the wavelength of the kink instability). Fast Fourier Transforms, maximum parallel electric field plots, and radial particle velocity plots were also built and studied to better understand the growth rate of the plasma and mechanisms underlying magnetic reconnection. We found that magnetic reconnection can be generated by the kink instability in its nonlinear stage. In this presentation, we will also compare our simulation results with the experimental results.