Electron inertia effects in 2D driven reconnection in electron MHD

We propose a zero-dimensional dynamical model which describes the effects of electron inertia in electron MHD (EMHD) reconnection with resistive and viscous dissipation. Steady-state properties of the reconnection region are examined. In the resistivity-dominated regime, we find that the current sheet thickness is limited to the inertial length scale and no thinner structures can develop. Reconnection is slow and outflows are Alfvenic. A linear stability analysis suggests that elongated diffusion regions may be preferable. On the other hand, in the viscosity-dominated regime, we find that linearly stable viscous layers, thinner than the electron inertial scale length, can develop to sustain reconnection. In this regime, the maximum reconnection rate is formally independent of dissipation and therefore potentially fast.