MMS observations of whistler waves in electron diffusion region

Cao, Dairong; Fu, H. S.; Cao, Jinbin; Wang, T. Y.; Graham, Daniel B.; Chen, Z. Z.; Peng, Fang‐Zheng; Huang, Suming; Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.; André, Mats; Russell, C. T.; Giles, B. L.; Lindqvist, Per‐Arne; Torbert, R. B.; Ergun, R. E.; Contel, O. Le; Burch, J. L.

doi:10.1002/2017gl072703

Cited by 95 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The bidirectional streaming is also consistent with being near the source region. Cao et al () also reported whistler waves streaming away from the EDR using MMS under similar conditions. In both cases, the whistler waves are in the exhaust and separatrix regions.…”

Section: The 22 October 2016 Edr Eventmentioning

confidence: 73%

A Survey of Plasma Waves Appearing Near Dayside Magnetopause Electron Diffusion Region Events

et al. 2019

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One of the major unresolved questions regarding the magnetic reconnection phenomenon is how plasma waves impact the process. In 2015, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the four‐satellite Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission to study magnetic reconnection, especially on the electron scale. Since launch, it has identified several wave modes below the electron plasma frequency that occur near the dayside reconnection X‐line. These include large‐amplitude parallel electrostatic waves, whistler mode waves, lower hybrid waves, and turbulence associated with a corrugated current structure. We survey 23 electron diffusion region events observed by Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission at the dayside magnetopause to help understand how these wave modes impact the reconnection process. Common wave modes are identified, as well as their typical location within the reconnection layer (e.g., electron diffusion region, ion diffusion region, separatrix, and inflow and outflow jets). We find that, with a few exceptions, electromagnetic whistlers are most commonly confined to the separatrices of the exhaust boundary. Lower hybrid waves are found on the magnetosphere side of the current layer and do not make it to the X‐line. The wave modes that typically occur closest to the dissipation region are the corrugated current structures and large‐amplitude parallel electrostatic waves.

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Section: The 22 October 2016 Edr Eventmentioning

confidence: 73%

A Survey of Plasma Waves Appearing Near Dayside Magnetopause Electron Diffusion Region Events

et al. 2019

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“…Whistler waves were also observed at the magnetopause near or inside the EDR propagating away from the X line (Cao et al, ; Tang et al, ). High‐resolution MMS observations showed that the resonance energy for anisotropic electron population inside EDR was ∼300 eV with maximum growth rate at f =0.2 f ce (Cao et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MMS Observations of Whistler and Lower Hybrid Drift Waves Associated with Magnetic Reconnection in the Turbulent Magnetosheath

et al. 2019

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Magnetic reconnection (MR) and the associated concurrently occurring waves have been extensively studied at large-scale plasma boundaries, in quasi-symmetric and asymmetric configurations in the terrestrial magnetotail and at the magnetopause. Recent high-resolution observations by MMS (Magnetospheric Multiscale) spacecraft indicate that MR can occur also in the magnetosheath where the conditions are highly turbulent when the upstream shock geometry is quasi-parallel. The strong turbulent motions make the boundary conditions for evolving MR complicated. In this paper it is demonstrated that the wave observations in localized regions of MR can serve as an additional diagnostic tool reinforcing our capacity for identifying MR events in turbulent plasmas. It is shown that in a close resemblance with MR at large-scale boundaries, turbulent reconnection associated whistler waves occur at separatrix/outflow regions and at the outer boundary of the electron diffusion region, while lower hybrid drift waves are associated with density gradients during the crossing of the current sheet. The lower hybrid drift instability can make the density inhomogeneities rippled. The identification of MR associated waves in the magnetosheath represents also an important milestone for developing a better understanding of energy redistribution and dissipation in turbulent plasmas.

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“…Nevertheless, our study showed the occurrence of a small number of whistler waves in the vicinity of X ‐line (see Figure b). Note also that Tang et al [] and Cao et al [] showed evidence of whistler waves in the electron diffusion region using the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms and MMS measurements. Actually we cannot identify the electron diffusion using the limited time resolution of the Cluster data in present study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence rate of whistler waves in the magnetotail reconnection region

et al. 2017

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It has long been suggested that whistler waves play an active role during magnetic reconnection. However, all previous observations were based on case studies and could not give a detailed picture as to where the whistler waves occur in the reconnection region. In this paper, a statistical study by using the Cluster data is performed to investigate the spatial distribution and the occurrence rate of whistler waves in the magnetotail reconnection region. It is found that the occurrence rate of the whistler waves is large in the separatrix region (|Bx/B0| > 0.4) and in the pileup region (|Bx/B0| < 0.2, |θ| > 45°, where θ = arctan(Bz/Bx)), but is very small in the vicinity of the X‐line. These statistical results are well consistent with recent kinetic simulations and with previous observational case studies.

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MMS observations of whistler waves in electron diffusion region

Cited by 95 publications

References 58 publications

A Survey of Plasma Waves Appearing Near Dayside Magnetopause Electron Diffusion Region Events

A Survey of Plasma Waves Appearing Near Dayside Magnetopause Electron Diffusion Region Events

MMS Observations of Whistler and Lower Hybrid Drift Waves Associated with Magnetic Reconnection in the Turbulent Magnetosheath

Occurrence rate of whistler waves in the magnetotail reconnection region

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