Shear-driven magnetic reconnection in viscous resistive incompressible plasmas

Planar magnetic reconnection, driven by shear flows in viscous resistive incompressible plasmas, is analyzed. Time-dependent profiles of the flow velocity and the reconnecting magnetic field are computed by solving the magnetohydrodynamic equations for disturbances of a magnetostatic configuration. The resulting asymptotic profiles for large times are characterized by boundary layers, formed at the boundaries of the region, rather than by a localized reconnecting current sheet within the region. Analysis of steady viscoresistive solutions confirms that a smooth solution, reached by a dynamically evolving system, must be nonlocalized. The results imply that at least two-dimensional shear flows are required for driving magnetic reconnection in viscous resistive plasmas.