Reconnection with magnetic flux pileup at the interface of converging jets at the magnetopause
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Accepted version
Supporting information
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We report Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of reconnection in a thin current sheet at the interface of interlinked flux tubes carried by converging reconnection jets at Earth's magnetopause. The ion skin depth‐scale width of the interface current sheet and the non‐frozen‐in ions indicate that Magnetospheric Multiscale crossed the reconnection layer near the X‐line, through the ion diffusion region. Significant pileup of the reconnecting component of the magnetic field in this and three other events on approach to the interface current sheet was accompanied by an increase in magnetic shear and decrease in Δβ, leading to conditions favorable for reconnection at the interface current sheet. The pileup also led to enhanced available magnetic energy per particle and strong electron heating. The observations shed light on the evolution and energy release in 3‐D systems with multiple reconnection sites.
Date Issued
2019-02-28
Date Acceptance
2019-01-15
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2019, 46 (4), pp.1937-1946
ISSN
0094-8276
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Start Page
1937
End Page
1946
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
46
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
©2019. American Geophysical Union. This is the accepted version of the following article: Øieroset, M., Phan, T. D., Drake, J. F., Eastwood, J. P., Fuselier, S. A., Strangeway, R. J., et al. ( 2019). Reconnection with magnetic flux pileup at the interface of converging jets at the magnetopause. Geophysical Research Letters, 46, 1937– 1946, which has been published in final form at https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2018gl080994
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Grant Number
ST/N000692/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
MMS OBSERVATIONS
SHEAR EVIDENCE
PLASMA BETA
DEPENDENCE
FIELD
TOPOLOGY
MD Multidisciplinary
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2019-02-25