The Onset and Development of 3D Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar Corona: Important Physical Details

Magnetic reconnection, one of the most important processes in the universe, is believed to be initiated in most cases by the tearing instability of an electric current sheet. Whether and how the tearing develops nonlinearly and releases substantial amounts of magnetic free energy is a crucial unanswered question. Using a series of resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of weakly perturbed, triply periodic current sheets with conditions appropriate to the solar corona, we have found that the answer depends on the relative growth rates of the different normal modes that are allowed in the system. Dramatically different evolutionary paths are possible depending on the length, thickness, and shear angle of the current sheet, as well as the resistivity. The basic results are discussed in the companion presentation by Klimchuk et al. Here, we delve into the important physical details underpinning the complex behavior.