Visualizing Three-Dimensional Reconnection in a Colliding Laser Plasma Experiment

Most processes in nature where magnetic field line reconnection occurs are thought to be 3-D and time dependent. These include solar flares and sites in the Earth's and in Jupiter's magnetotails, as well as astronomical objects such as pulsars and colliding galaxies. We present experimental evidence for a fully 3-D reconnection, which occurs when two dense plasmas collide in a background-magnetized plasma.