Ion acceleration at dipolarization fronts associated with the interchange instability in Earth’s magnetotail

Energy Transfer and Electron Heating in Turbulent Flux Pileup Region

“…DFs have been documented as the primary regions hosting the interaction between the BBFs and the ambient plasma, such as particle heating and acceleration (e.g., Birn et al., 2013; Duan et al., 2014; Fu, Khotyaintsev, Vaivads, André, Sergeev, et al., 2012; Fu et al., 2020; Gabrielse et al., 2016; Liu, Fu, Cao, et al., 2017; Liu, Fu, Xu, et al., 2017; Lu et al., 2016, 2020; Runov et al., 2015; Xu et al., 2018; Zhou et al., 2013, 2018) and wave‐particle interactions (e.g., Divin et al., 2015; Fu et al., 2014; Huang, Zhou, Deng, et al., 2012; Hwang et al., 2014; Khotyaintsev et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2019, 2021; Zhou et al., 2009). Presence of these dynamical activities indicates that the DFs typically host strong energy transfer, which has been confirmed by multiple‐point spacecraft measurements (e.g., Huang et al., 2015; Khotyaintsev et al., 2017; Liu, Cao, & Pollock, 2022; Liu, Fu, Vaivads, et al., 2018; Liu, Fu, Xu, et al., 2018; Yao et al., 2017; Zhong et al., 2019).…”

Electron Surfing Acceleration at Rippled Reconnection Fronts

“…RFs have been well recognized to be transient structures with a scale of ion inertial length and play an important role in particle acceleration (Zhou et al 2009;Gabrielse et al 2012;Liu et al 2013;Turner et al 2014;Wu et al 2018;Fu et al 2020;Lu et al 2020). Recent investigations into RFs have suggested that they are not planar, as commonly assumed, but rather rippled with electron scales (Liu et al 2018b(Liu et al , 2020Pan et al 2018).…”

“…The reconnection front (RF), a transient structure with a scale of ion inertial length (Zhou et al 2010;Lu et al 2013Lu et al , 2020Wu et al 2018;Fu et al 2020) in the terrestrial magnetotail, is characterized by an abrupt strong enhancement of magnetic field (Nakamura et al 2002;Runov et al 2009;Sergeev et al 2009;Zhou et al 2009;Liu et al 2013;Fu et al 2020). Such structures are thought to be followed by a strong magnetic field region called a dipolarizing flux bundle (DFB; Liu et al 2013Liu et al , 2014 or flux pileup region (Khotyaintsev et al 2011) and usually preceded by a small magnetic dip structure (Pan et al 2015;Yao et al 2015;Schmid et al 2019).…”

Energy Partition and Balance at Dipolarization Fronts

“…Energy conversion at DFs are attributable to intense currents and electric fields developed during the interaction between DFs and ambient plasmas (e.g., Fu et al., 2020; Huang et al., 2015; Khotyaintsev et al., 2017; Liu, Fu, Vaivads, et al., 2018, Liu, Fu, Xu, et al., 2018; Yao et al., 2017), and are manifested by various energy channels, such as local particle heating and acceleration (e.g., Bai et al., 2022; Birn et al., 2013, Fu, Khotyaintsev, Vaivads, et al., 2012; Fu et al., 2011; Gabrielse et al., 2016; Liu, Fu, Cao, et al., 2017, Liu, Fu, Xu, et al., 2017; Lu et al., 2016, 2020; Xu et al., 2018; Zhou et al., 2013, 2018), wave‐particle interactions (e.g., Divin et al., 2015; Fu et al., 2014; Huang et al., 2012, 2019; Hwang et al., 2014; Khotyaintsev et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2019, Liu, Fu, Liu, & Xu, et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2009), and transport by wave emissions in a form of Poynting flux (e.g., Liu, Fu, Yu, et al., 2021). Previous statistical studies have revealed that energy conversion at DFs are usually dominated by energy loads ($$\boldsymbol{E}\cdot \boldsymbol{J} > 0$$), that is, energy going from electromagnetic fields to particles (e.g., Huang et al., 2015; Zhong et al., 2019).…”