JET-P(93)66
Nonlinear Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection
Collisionless magnetic reconnection in regimes where the mode structure is characterised by global convection cells is found to exhibit a quasi-explosive time behaviour in the early nonlinear stage where the fluid displacement is smaller than the equilibrium scale length. This process is accompanied by the formation of a current density sub-layer narrower than the skin depth. This sublayer keeps shrinking with time.