Topologically forced reconnection.

A magnetically dominated plasma driven by braiding motions on boundaries at which magnetic field lines are anchored is forced to dissipate the work being done upon it, no matter how small the electrical resistivity may be. Recent numerical experiments have clarified the mechanisms through which balance between the boundary work and the dissipation in the interior is achieved. The results largely confirm Parker's (1972) idea of "topological dissipation"; dissipation is achieved through the formation of a hierarchy of electrical current sheets. Current sheets form as a result of the topological interlocking of individual strands of magnetic field. The average level of dissipation is well described by a scaling law that is independent of the electrical resistivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]