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Analysis of the energy release for different magnetic reconnection regimes within the solar environment

A 2.5-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulation analysis of the energy release for three different reconnection regimes is presented. The system under investigation consists in a current-sheet located in a medium with a strong density variation along the current layer: such system is modeled as it were located in the high chromosphere/low solar corona as in the case of pre- flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) configurations or in the aftermath of such explosive phenomena. By triggering different magnetic-reconnection dynamics, that is from a laminar slow evolution to a spontaneous non-steady turbulent reconnection [1,2,3], we observe a rather different efficiency and temporal behavior with regard to the energy fluxes associated with each of these reconnection-driven evolutions. These discrepancies are fundamental key-properties to create realistic models of the triggering mechanisms and initial evolution of all those phenomena requiring fast (and high power) magnetic reconnection events within the solar environment. 1. G. Lapenta, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 235001 (2008). 2. L. Bettarini, and G. Lapenta, ApJ Submitted (2009). 3. M. Skender, and G. Lapenta, Phys. Plasmas submitted (2009).