Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause
File(s)Ergun_GRL_2017_accepted.pdf (8.58 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Observations of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause often display asymmetric structures that are accompanied by strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations and large-amplitude parallel electric fields (E||). The B turbulence is most intense at frequencies above the ion cyclotron frequency and below the lower hybrid frequency. The B fluctuations are consistent with a thin, oscillating current sheet that is corrugated along the electron flow direction (along the X line), which is a type of electromagnetic drift wave. Near the X line, electron flow is primarily due to a Hall electric field, which diverts ion flow in asymmetric reconnection and accompanies the instability. Importantly, the drift waves appear to drive strong parallel currents which, in turn, generate large-amplitude (~100 mV/m) E|| in the form of nonlinear waves and structures. These observations suggest that turbulence may be common in asymmetric reconnection, penetrate into the electron diffusion region, and possibly influence the magnetic reconnection process.
Date Issued
2017-04-09
Online Publication Date
2017-04-09
2017-07-13T15:14:54Z
Date Acceptance
2017-03-21
ISSN
0094-8276
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Start Page
2978
End Page
2986
Journal / Book Title
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
Volume
44
Issue
7
Copyright Statement
© 2017 American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Ergun, R. E., et al. (2017), Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 2978–2986, doi:10.1002/2016GL072493. To view the published open abstract, go to: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072493
Source Database
scopus
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000400186500002&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ST/N000692/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
asymmetric magnetic reconnection
drift waves
parallel electric fields
turbulence
DIFFUSION REGION
MAGNETOSPHERIC MULTISCALE
MMS OBSERVATIONS
X-LINE
INSTABILITY
DISSIPATION
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
MD Multidisciplinary
Publication Status
Published