MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN SHEARED SOLAR MAGNETIC ARCADES

The evolution of solar magnetic arcades is investigated with the use of MHD simulations imposing resistivity on sheared magnetic fields. It is found that there is a critical amount of shear, over which magnetic reconnection can take place ill an arcade-like field geometry to create a magnetic island. The process leading to reconnect ion cannot. be solely attributed to a tearing instability, but rather to a reactive evolution of the magnetic arcade under resistivity. The natures of the arcade reconnection are governed by the spatial pattern of resistivity. A fast reconnection with a small shock angle can only be achieved when the diffusion region is localized. In this case. a highly collimated reconnect ion outflow can tear the plasmoid into a pair, and most of principal features in solar eruptive processes are reproduced.