MMS observations of large guide field symmetric reconnection between colliding reconnection jets at the center of a magnetic flux rope at the magnetopause
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We report evidence for reconnection between colliding reconnection jets in a compressed current sheet at the center of a magnetic flux rope at Earth's magnetopause. The reconnection involved nearly symmetric inflow boundary conditions with a strong guide field of two. The thin (2.5 ion-skin depth (di) width) current sheet (at ~12 di downstream of the X line) was well resolved by MMS, which revealed large asymmetries in plasma and field structures in the exhaust. Ion perpendicular heating, electron parallel heating, and density compression occurred on one side of the exhaust, while ion parallel heating and density depression were shifted to the other side. The normal electric field and double out-of-plane (bifurcated) currents spanned almost the entire exhaust. These observations are in good agreement with a kinetic simulation for similar boundary conditions, demonstrating in new detail that the structure of large guide field symmetric reconnection is distinctly different from antiparallel reconnection.
Date Issued
2016-06-04
Date Acceptance
2016-05-09
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2016, 43 (11), pp.5536-5544
ISSN
0094-8276
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
5536
End Page
5544
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
43
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
© 2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Grant Number
ST/K001051/1
Subjects
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
MD Multidisciplinary
Publication Status
Published