Simulating Solar and Astrophysical Plasmas in Laboratory Experiments and New Models Motivated by these Experiments

Abstract

Laboratory plasma configurations have been developed which simulate solar coronal loops and astrophysical jets. Observed phenomena include the magnetic pinch effect, magnetic hoop force, restraining of the hoop force by an optional externally applied "strapping" magnetic field, MHD-driven jets and their collimation via the stagnation of convected magnetic flux, magnetic kinking, co- and counter helicity merging of two distinct magnetic structures, enhanced x-ray production upon merging, magnetic reconnection and formation of detached structures. These observations have motivated a model which invokes jet collimation to explain the observed collimation of solar coronal loops.

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