Nonlinear development of streaming instabilities in strongly magnetized plasma.

The nonlinear development of streaming instabilities in the current layers formed during magnetic reconnection with a guide field is explored. Theory and 3D particle-in-cell simulations reveal two distinct phases. First, the parallel Buneman instability grows and traps low velocity electrons. The remaining electrons then drive two forms of turbulence: the parallel electron-electron two-stream instability and the nearly perpendicular lower-hybrid instability. The high velocity electrons resonate with the turbulence and transfer momentum to the ions and low velocity electrons.