{
  "abstract": "Magnetic reconnection can become fast in three-dimensional turbulent layers. However, the parameters and mechanisms that control the fast state are not yet fully clear. Existing guide-field simulations of self-generated turbulent reconnection show locally coherent flux-rope structures embedded in a stochastic layer, motivating a flux-rope-mediated picture, with reconnection rates of order $V_{\\rm rec}/V_A \\sim 0.01$ in MHD. Here, we test whether and how magnetic shear changes the reconnection regime, using 3D resistive-MHD simulations at $S_L=10^5$. We vary the guide field while keeping the initial reconnecting field strength and rate normalization fixed, comparing a guide-field, weaker-shear configuration with the anti-parallel, strong-shear limit. We find that the strong-shear regime is qualitatively distinct from the flux-rope-mediated guide-field regime. Rather than retaining a narrow layer and locally coherent flux-rope structures, the current layer develops short-wavelength corrugations that broaden it substantially, and the reconnection layer electric field is sustained by fluctuation EMF. The reconnection rate increases to $V_{\\rm rec}/V_A \\sim 0.03$, about three times the guide-field value. These results indicate that magnetic shear can select the mechanism controlling fast 3D turbulent reconnection, shifting the system from a guide-field regime consistent with flux-rope mediation toward a very fast turbulence-broadened regime. This transition provides a novel explanation for the sudden switch-on of fast reconnection in eruptive solar flares.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2611.09354",
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Qihui Ming"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alexander J. B. Russell"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1hba72wzhm67y.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2611.09354",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "1hba72wzhm67y",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.09354",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "astro-ph.SR"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.plasm-ph"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2611.09354",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-06",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1hba72wzhm67y.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T06:21:04Z",
      "native_id": "2611.09354",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.09354"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "arxiv:astro-ph.SR",
      "subfield": "stellar"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.plasm-ph",
      "subfield": "plasma"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Existence of Distinct Strong and Weak Shear Regimes of Self-Generated Turbulent Magnetic Reconnection",
  "title_text": "Existence of Distinct Strong and Weak Shear Regimes of Self-Generated Turbulent Magnetic Reconnection",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T06:21:04Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1hba72wzhm67y",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}