Switch‐off slow shock/rotational discontinuity structures in collisionless magnetic reconnection: What to look for in satellite observations

Abstract

In Innocenti et al. (2015) we have observed and characterized for the first time Petschek‐like switch‐off slow shock/rotational discontinuity (SO‐SS/RD) compound structures in a 2‐D fully kinetic simulation of collisionless magnetic reconnection. Observing these structures in the solar wind or in the magnetotail would corroborate the possibility that Petschek exhausts develop in collisionless media as a result of single X point collisionless reconnection. Here we highlight their signatures in simulations with the aim of easing their identification in observations. The most notable signatures include a four‐peaked ion current profile in the out‐of‐plane direction, associated ion distribution functions, increased electron and ion anisotropy downstream the SS, and increased electron agyrotropy downstream the RDs.

Magnetic reconnection as a mechanism to produce multiple thermal proton populations and beams locally in the solar wind

“…See text for further details. Aunai et al 2011;Eastwood et al 2015;Innocenti et al 2017). For solar wind configurations, complex reconnection exhaust boundaries have been observed and modeled (e.g., Huttunen et al 2008;Lavraud et al 2009;Innocenti et al 2017;Feng et al 2017;Enžl et al 2017;He et al 2018).…”

“…Yet, in parallel, it was realized that reconnection produces a mixing of particle populations from the upstream inflow regions (the boundary conditions of the reconnecting current sheet), leading among other effects to the production of proton distribution functions comprising multiple populations and beams at near-thermal energies (e.g., Lottermoser et al 1998;Shay et al 1998;Hoshino et al 1998;Phan et al 2007;Drake et al 2009;Aunai et al 2011;Eastwood et al 2015;Innocenti et al 2017).…”

On the Importance of Spatial and Velocity Resolution in the Hybrid-Vlasov Modeling of Collisionless Shocks

“…It is equally crucial in the study of laboratory plasmas [e.g., 1], in the design of fusion devices [e.g., 2] and spacecraft [e.g., 3] or to provide context to and interpretations of observations in space, helio-and astrophysics [e.g., [4][5][6]. Simulation methods for plasma can be broadly classified according to the amount of physical detail they include [e.g.…”

Magnetic reconnection as a mechanism to produce multiple protonpopulations and beams locally in the solar wind

“…The fact that magnetic reconnection may create multiple proton populations is known from some time, from both observations and simulations (e.g. Lottermoser et al 1998;Shay et al 1998;Hoshino et al 1998;Phan et al 2007;Drake et al 2009;Aunai et al 2011;Eastwood et al 2015;Innocenti et al 2017). For solar wind configurations, complex reconnection exhaust Fig.…”

“…Yet, in parallel it was early realized that reconnection produces a mixing of particle populations from the upstream inflow regions (the boundary conditions of the reconnecting current sheet), leading among other effects to the production of proton distribution functions comprising multiple populations and beams (e.g. Lottermoser et al 1998;Shay et al 1998;Hoshino et al 1998;Phan et al 2007;Drake et al 2009;Aunai et al 2011;Eastwood et al 2015;Innocenti et al 2017).…”