Extended magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause from detection of bi-directional jets

Phan, T. D.; Kistler, L. M.; Klecker, B.; Haerendel, G.; Paschmann, G.; Sonnerup, B. U. Ö.; Baumjohann, W.; Bavassano-Cattaneo, M. B.; Carlson, C. W.; DiLellis, A. M.; Fornaçon, K.‐H.; Frank, L. A.; Fujimoto, M.; Georgescu, E.; Kokubun, S.; Möbius, E.; Mukai, T.; Øieroset, M.; Paterson, W. R.; Rème, H.

doi:10.1038/35009050

Cited by 221 publications

(202 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

191

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The same result of the ~0.02V A reconnection rate was also found in a numerical simulation [22]. Certain events observed by the satellites Equator-S and Geotail also concluded that reconnection was determined by large-scale interactions between the solar wind and the magnetosphere, rather than by local conditions at the magnetopause [26]. On the other hand, a few Cluster observations in the magnetotail reported a much faster reconnection rate of ~0.07-0.30V A [30,31].…”

Section: The Fast Reconnection Ratesupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Analytical and numerical advances in collisionless magnetic reconnection based on Hall MHD and other similar models such as the hybrid model [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] have been largely driven by satellite observations in the last decade [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. We in this paper review these developments and discuss outstanding issues raised by satellite observations and to be answered by theory and simulation.…”

Section: / 4πmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Recent progresses in theoretical studies and satellite observations for collisionless magnetic reconnection

Wang

Xiao

et al. 2012

Chin. Sci. Bull.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As an essential mechanism in large scale fast magnetic energy releases and field reconfigurations processes in space, astrophysical, and laboratory plasmas, magnetic reconnection, particularly collisionless magnetic reconnection, has been studied for more than 65 years. Many progresses have been achieved in recent years and basic features of the process have been well understood, largely due to more and more satellite observation data available in the last decade. However, a few outstanding issues are still remained unresolved. We in the paper review the development of collisionless magnetic reconnection studies and major achievements in recent years, and also briefly discuss the open questions remained to be answered in studies of collisionless magnetic reconnection. Magnetic reconnection is thought an essential mechanism in many plasma physics processes in space, laboratory, and astrophysical objects, related to configurations relaxation and fast release of magnetic field and energy, observed in laboratory experiments and satellites observations and studied in numerical simulations and theoretical analysis [1]. The concept of magnetic reconnection was first proposed as a process of oppositely directed magnetic field lines merging and annihilated at a magnetic null, in an effort to understand the solar flare phenomenon It has then become a fundamental model in magnetic reconnection studies. Nevertheless, the Sweet-Parker reconnection rate is on the order of square root of the electrical resistivity. Due to the low collisionality in space and solar plasmas, the rate is too slow to be counted for fast events such as solar flares.Another model was then proposed by Petschek, with a fast driven and an X-point geometry, to solve the problem [5]. It was claimed in the Petschek model that a fast reconnection rate could be almost on the order of logarithm of resistivity, much faster than the Sweet-Parker rate. It was however found latterly that in high resolution simulations, the X-point geometry could not be realized in high Lundquist number regime of S≥10 4 [6]. And in the low Lundquist number regime (S<10 3 ), Petschek reconnection rate and Sweet-Parker reconnection rate would be more or less on the same order. On the other hand, collisionless mechanisms such as the finite Larmor radius (FLR) effect rather than collisional

show abstract

Section: The Fast Reconnection Ratesupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: / 4πmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent progresses in theoretical studies and satellite observations for collisionless magnetic reconnection

Wang

Xiao

et al. 2012

Chin. Sci. Bull.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Many previous studies which addressed the location of the reconnection line have concentrated on the observation of high-speed plasma flows in the boundary layers of the magnetopause and their interpretation in terms of the magnetic reconnection process [Paschmann et al, 1979;Sonnerup et al, 1981;1995;Gosling et al, 1990Gosling et al, , 1991Phan et al 2000]. These methods determine the general direction of the location of the reconnection line relative to the spacecraft but do not address the local condition at the reconnection site.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[7] It has recently been shown that magnetic reconnection is a fundamentally multiscale and continuous process [e.g., Phan et al, 2000;Onsager et al, 2001;Fuselier et al, 2002;Trattner et al, 2004], forming long reconnection lines along the magnetopause surface and in interplanetary space [Phan et al, 2006]. However, for these and previous studies, the number of crossings is limited where reconnection can be conclusively identified either in the regions where the merging fields are antiparallel [e.g., Trattner et al, 2005] or forming a tilted X-line across the dayside magnetopause [e.g., Fuselier et al, 2002].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Probing the boundary between antiparallel and component reconnection during southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions

et al. 2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] One of the major outstanding questions about magnetic reconnection is where reconnection will occur at the Earth's magnetopause for specific conditions of the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). There are two scenarios discussed in the literature: (1) antiparallel reconnection, which occurs where the magnetospheric magnetic field and the IMF are antiparallel (shear angle of approximately 180°) and (2) component reconnection, where shear angles between the magnetospheric field and the IMF as low as 50°have been reported. The distinction between the two reconnection scenarios is important for the energy and momentum transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. Here we report on a method using three-dimensional plasma observations from the Toroidal Imaging Mass-Angle Spectrograph instrument on the Polar spacecraft as it passes through the northern magnetospheric cusp to calculate the distance to the reconnection line and subsequently trace the distance along model magnetic field lines back to the magnetopause. Results from 130 events reveal that in general, magnetic reconnection occurs along an extended line across the dayside magnetopause (i.e., consistent with the component reconnection scenario). During strong sunward or antisunward IMF conditions (B X ), however, the reconnection location resembles the antiparallel reconnection model at high latitudes and does not cross the dayside magnetopause as a single tilted reconnection line. These results show that either reconnection scenario can occur at the magnetopause, depending on the specific IMF conditions. Citation: Trattner, K. J., J. S. Mulcock, S. M. Petrinec, and S. A. Fuselier (2007), Probing the boundary between antiparallel and component reconnection during southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions,

show abstract

“…at low Earth latitudes. The occurrence of magnetic reconnection and its related plasma and energy transport have been observed by probes and discussed in the literature, (see, e.g., Phan et al, 2000;Nishida et al, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices and secondary instabilities in super-magnetosonic regimes

et al. 2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The nonlinear behaviour of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is investigated with a two-fluid simulation code in both sub-magnetosonic and super-magnetosonic regimes in a two-dimensional configuration chosen so as to represent typical conditions observed at the Earth's magnetopause flanks. It is shown that in super-magnetosonic regimes the plasma density inside the vortices produced by the development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is approximately uniform, making the plasma inside the vortices effectively stable against the onset of secondary instabilities. However, the relative motion of the vortices relative to the plasma flow can cause the formation of shock structures. It is shown that in the region where the shocks are attached to the vortex boundaries the plasma conditions change rapidly and develop large gradients that allow for the onset of secondary instabilities not observed in sub-magnetosonic regimes.

show abstract

Extended magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause from detection of bi-directional jets

Cited by 221 publications

References 19 publications

Recent progresses in theoretical studies and satellite observations for collisionless magnetic reconnection

Recent progresses in theoretical studies and satellite observations for collisionless magnetic reconnection

Probing the boundary between antiparallel and component reconnection during southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions

Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices and secondary instabilities in super-magnetosonic regimes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About