The effects of turbulence on three‐dimensional magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause

Price, L.; Swisdak, M.; Drake, J. F.; Cassak, P. A.; Dahlin, Joel; Ergun, R. E.

doi:10.1002/2016gl069578

Cited by 90 publications

(167 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…These fluctuations are not likely to correspond to anomalous fields. Overall, our results are consistent with previous observations and simulations of anomalous drag associated with asymmetric reconnection [ Mozer et al , ; Pritchett , ] but are smaller than the values obtained by Price et al [].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion and magnetospheric inflow regions

et al. 2017

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The role and properties of lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion region and magnetospheric inflow region of asymmetric reconnection are investigated using the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Two distinct groups of lower hybrid waves are observed in the ion diffusion region and magnetospheric inflow region, which have distinct properties and propagate in opposite directions along the magnetopause. One group develops near the ion edge in the magnetospheric inflow, where magnetosheath ions enter the magnetosphere through the finite gyroradius effect and are driven by the ion‐ion cross‐field instability due to the interaction between the magnetosheath ions and cold magnetospheric ions. This leads to heating of the cold magnetospheric ions. The second group develops at the sharpest density gradient, where the Hall electric field is observed and is driven by the lower hybrid drift instability. These drift waves produce cross‐field particle diffusion, enabling magnetosheath electrons to enter the magnetospheric inflow region thereby broadening the density gradient in the ion diffusion region.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion and magnetospheric inflow regions

et al. 2017

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“…The reconnecting current layer width is thus well determined, and very small, ~1.8 d e . There are features of this EDR that confirm some properties of previous EDR observations and simulations: the unambiguous normal component of B ; the pronounced enhancement of the energy conversion, J • E ′; the clearly discernible electron crescent structures; and the observed reconnection electric fields, although simulations would imply a smaller reconnection value (Drake & Shay, , or Price et al, ). It is worth noting that this component cannot be very much smaller than the observed 2–3 mV/m, because (1) the value of the total current is confirmed here with two different methods (the curl of B, and direct plasma moments) and is ~4–5 μA/m 2 ; (2) the J • E ′ value does not depend on our LMN coordinate system and varies from 10 to 30 nW/m 3 for the four spacecraft; (3) the value of E′ is confirmed by our modified electron moment procedure to be no less that perhaps 30% of the value used in this power computation, and thus perhaps the power may be as low as 7–20 nW/m 3 ; thus, a simple division gives a field of at least 1.4–4 mV/m in the direction of J .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Structure and Dissipation Characteristics of an Electron Diffusion Region Observed by MMS During a Rapid, Normal‐Incidence Magnetopause Crossing

et al. 2017

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On 22 October 2016, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft encountered the electron diffusion region (EDR) when the magnetosheath field was southward, and there were signatures of fast reconnection, including flow jets, Hall fields, and large power dissipation. One rapid, normal‐incidence crossing, during which the EDR structure was almost stationary in the boundary frame, provided an opportunity to observe the spatial structure for the zero guide field case of magnetic reconnection. The reconnection electric field was determined unambiguously to be 2–3 mV/m. There were clear signals of fluctuating parallel electric fields, up to 6 mV/m on the magnetosphere side of the diffusion region, associated with a Hall‐like parallel current feature on the electron scale. The width of the main EDR structure was determined to be ~2 km (1.8 de). Although the MMS spacecraft were in their closest tetrahedral separation of ~8 km, the divergences and curls for these thin current structures could therefore not be computed in the usual manner. A method is developed to determine these quantities on a much smaller scale and applied to compute the normal component of terms in the generalized Ohm's law for the positions of each individual spacecraft (not a barocentric average). Although the gradient pressure term has a qualitative dependence that follows the observed variation of E + Ve × B, the quantitative magnitude of these terms differs by more than a factor of 2, which is shown to be greater than the respective errors. Thus, future research is required to find the manner in which Ohm's law is balanced.

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“…20 The question might therefore arise to which degree such a model represents reality correctly. NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission measures currents, electric fields, and small-scale gradients of plasma quantities in central diffusion zones of near-Earth reconnection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The physical foundation of the reconnection electric field

et al. 2018

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Magnetic reconnection is a key charged particle transport and energy conversion process in environments ranging from astrophysical systems to laboratory plasmas 1 . Magnetic reconnection facilitates plasma transport by establishing new connections of magnetic flux tubes, and it converts, often explosively, energy stored in the magnetic field to kinetic energy of charged particles 2 . The intensity of the magnetic reconnection process is

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The effects of turbulence on three‐dimensional magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause

Cited by 90 publications

References 23 publications

Lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion and magnetospheric inflow regions

Lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion and magnetospheric inflow regions

Structure and Dissipation Characteristics of an Electron Diffusion Region Observed by MMS During a Rapid, Normal‐Incidence Magnetopause Crossing

The physical foundation of the reconnection electric field

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