Spatial evolution of magnetic reconnection diffusion region structures with distance from the X-line
File(s)Oieroset_POP21-AR-MMS2021-01473_accepted.pdf (4.23 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We report Magnetospheric Multiscale four-spacecraft observations of a thin reconnecting current sheet with weakly asymmetric inflow conditions and a guide field of approximately twice the reconnecting magnetic field. The event was observed at the interface of interlinked magnetic field lines at the flank magnetopause when the maximum spacecraft separation was 370 km and the spacecraft covered ∼1.7 ion inertial lengths (di) in the reconnection outflow direction. The ion-scale spacecraft separation made it possible to observe the transition from electron-only super ion-Alfvénic outflow near the electron diffusion region (EDR) to the emergence of sub-Alfvénic ion outflow in the ion diffusion region (IDR). The EDR to IDR evolution over a distance less than 2 di also shows the transition from a near-linear reconnecting magnetic field reversal to a more bifurcated current sheet as well as significant decreases in the parallel electric field and dissipation. Both the ion and electron heating in this diffusion region event were similar to the previously reported heating in the far downstream exhausts. The dimensionless reconnection rate, obtained four different ways, was in the range of 0.13–0.27. This event reveals the rapid spatial evolution of the plasma and electromagnetic fields through the EDR to IDR transition region
Date Issued
2021-12-01
Date Acceptance
2021-11-09
Citation
Physics of Plasmas, 2021, 28 (12)
ISSN
1070-664X
Publisher
American Institute of Physics
Journal / Book Title
Physics of Plasmas
Volume
28
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000726615200003&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ST/S000364/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Physics
EARTHS MAGNETOPAUSE DEPENDENCE
INFLOW ALFVEN SPEED
MMS OBSERVATIONS
COLLISIONLESS
FIELD
DISSIPATION
CURRENTS
EXHAUST
SHEAR
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 122901
Date Publish Online
2021-12-02