(TH/P3-12) Helicity fluctuation, generation of linking number and effect on resistivity

Abstract.  Magnetic configurations subject to fast local variation of helicity (like in the current sheet of a reconnection event) must respond by increasing the topological linking number. We estimate the increase of topological complexity using the linking number and the crossing number. This latter quantity is further expressed in terms of the average curvature of the magnetic field lines. The curvature drifts of electrons and ions combined with non-vanishing collisionality lead to an enhanced resistivity.

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