Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of magnetic reconnection associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
File(s)Eriksson_et_al-2016-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf (8.38 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft recorded the first direct evidence of reconnection exhausts associated with Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) waves at the duskside magnetopause on 8 September 2015 which allows for local mass and energy transport across the flank magnetopause. Pressure anisotropy-weighted Walén analyses confirmed in-plane exhausts across 22 of 42 KH-related trailing magnetopause current sheets (CSs). Twenty-one jets were observed by all spacecraft, with small variations in ion velocity, along the same sunward or antisunward direction with nearly equal probability. One exhaust was only observed by the MMS-1,2 pair, while MMS-3,4 traversed a narrow CS (1.5 ion inertial length) in the vicinity of an electron diffusion region. The exhausts were locally 2-D planar in nature as MMS-1,2 observed almost identical signatures separated along the guide-field. Asymmetric magnetic and electric Hall fields are reported in agreement with a strong guide-field and a weak plasma density asymmetry across the magnetopause CS.
Date Issued
2016-06-09
Date Acceptance
2016-05-09
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2016, 43 (11), pp.5606-5615
ISSN
1944-8007
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Start Page
5606
End Page
5615
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
43
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
© 2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
Sponsor
The Leverhulme Trust
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Grant Number
RF-2015-188
ST/N000692/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
reconnection exhaust
guide-magnetic field reconnection
Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
MAGNETOPAUSE
INSTABILITY
PLASMA
VORTICES
BOUNDARY
SIMULATIONS
TRANSPORT
FIELD
LAYER
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
MD Multidisciplinary
Publication Status
Published