Statistics of Magnetic Reconnection in MHD Turbulence

Authors: Michael A. Shay (Univ. of Del.), M. Bilal Khan (Univ. of Del.), Sean Oughton (University of Waikato), Colby Haggerty (Univ. of Hawaii), Paul Cassak (W. Virginia Univ.), W. H. Matthaeus (Univ. of Del.)

Although magnetic reconnection as an element of turbulence has been studied for quite some time, there are still major outstanding questions as to the relationship between the properties of the turbulence and the statistical properties of magnetic reconnection. By statistical properties, we mean the number of x-lines, the distribution of reconnection rates, and the upstream parameters associated with them. In this study we revisit the problem of reconnection during MHD turbulence in order to study the physics controlling these statistics.