Guide field reconnection: exhaust structure and heating
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations are used to probe the structure and temperature profile of a guide field reconnection exhaust ~100 ion inertial lengths downstream from the X‐line in the Earth's magnetosheath. Asymmetric Hall electric and magnetic field signatures were detected, together with a density cavity confined near one edge of the exhaust and containing electron flow toward the X‐line. Electron holes were also detected both on the cavity edge and at the Hall magnetic field reversal. Predominantly parallel ion and electron heating was observed in the main exhaust but within the cavity, electron cooling and enhanced parallel ion heating was found. This is explained in terms of the parallel electric field, which inhibits electron mixing within the cavity on newly reconnected field lines, but accelerates ions. Consequently, guide field reconnection causes inhomogeneous changes in ion and electron temperature across the exhaust.
Date Issued
2018-05-28
Date Acceptance
2018-04-14
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2018, 45 (10), pp.4569-4577
ISSN
0094-8276
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Start Page
4569
End Page
4577
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
45
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
©2018. The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Grant Number
ST/N000692/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
Magnetic Reconnection
Magnetosheath
Plasma heating
Electron hole
Magnetospheric Multiscale
EARTHS MAGNETOPAUSE DEPENDENCE
INFLOW ALFVEN SPEED
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
TURBULENT MAGNETOSHEATH
MMS OBSERVATIONS
SOLAR-WIND
X LINE
PLASMA
SHEAR
MD Multidisciplinary
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-04-23