scholarly journals Quantification of Cold-Ion Beams in a Magnetic Reconnection Jet

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Xuan Li ◽  
Wen-Ya Li ◽  
Bin-Bin Tang ◽  
C. Norgren ◽  
Jian-Sen He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Plasma Sheet ◽  
Ion Beams ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Diffusion Region ◽  
Hot Plasma ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Velocity Distribution Functions ◽  
Cold Ions ◽  
Field Lines

Cold (few eV) ions of ionospheric origin are widely observed in the lobe region of Earth’s magnetotail and can enter the ion jet region after magnetic reconnection is triggered in the magnetotail. Here, we investigate a magnetotail crossing with cold ions in one tailward and two earthward ion jets observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) constellation of spacecraft. Cold ions co-existing with hot plasma-sheet ions form types of ion velocity distribution functions (VDFs) in the three jets. In one earthward jet, MMS observe cold-ion beams with large velocities parallel to the magnetic fields, and we perform quantitative analysis on the ion VDFs in this jet. The cold ions, together with the hot ions, are reconnection outflow ions and are a minor population in terms of number density inside this jet. The average bulk speed of the cold-ion beams is approximately 38% larger than that of the hot plasma-sheet ions. The cold-ion beams inside the explored jet are about one order of magnitude colder than the hot plasma-sheet ions. These cold-ion beams could be accelerated by the Hall electric field in the cold ion diffusion region and the shrinking magnetic field lines through the Fermi effect.

Formation of non-thermal electron velocity distribution functions in kinetic magnetic reconnection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Yao ◽  
Patricio A. Muñoz ◽  
Jörg Büchner
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Free Energy ◽  
Field Strength ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Electron Beams ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Electron Velocity ◽  
Diffusion Region ◽  
Electron Velocity Distribution ◽  
Velocity Distribution Functions

<div> <div>Magnetic reconnection can convert magnetic energy into non-thermal particle energy in the form of electron beams. Those accelerated electrons can, in turn, cause radio emission in environments such as solar flares. The actual properties of those electron velocity distribution functions (EVDFs) generated by reconnection are still not well understood. In particular the properties that are relevant for the micro-instabilities responsible for radio emission. We aim thus at characterizing the electron distributions functions generated by 3D magnetic reconnection by means of fully kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) code simulations. Our goal is to characterize the possible sources of free energy of the generated EVDFs in dependence on an external (guide) magnetic field strength. We find that: (1) electron beams with positive gradients in their parallel (to the local magnetic field direction) distribution functions are observed in both diffusion region (parallel crescent-shaped EVDFs) and separatrices (bump-on-tail EVDFs). These non-thermal EVDFs cause counterstreaming and bump-on-tail instabilities. These electrons are adiabatic and preferentially accelerated by a parallel electric field in regions where the magnetic moment is conserved. (2) electron beams with positive gradients in their perpendicular distribution functions are observed in regions with weak magnetic field strength near the current sheet midplane. The characteristic crescent-shaped EVDFs (in perpendicular velocity space) are observed in the diffusion region. These non-thermal EVDFs can cause electron cyclotron maser instabilities. These non-thermal electrons in perpendicular velocity space are mainly non-adiabatic. Their EVDFs are attributed to electrons experiencing an E×B drift and meandering motion. (3) As the guide field strength increases, the number of locations in the current sheet with distributions functions featuring a perpendicular source of free energy significantly decreases.</div> </div>

Ionospheric ions in the magnetosphere: Important at large and small scales

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats André ◽  
Sergio Toledo-Redondo ◽  
Andrew W Yau
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Energy Transport ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Diffusion Region ◽  
Positive Ions ◽  
Small Scales ◽  
Outflow Rate ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Cold Ions

<p><span lang="EN-US">Cold (eV) ions of ionospheric origin dominate the number density of most of the volume of the magnetosphere during most of the time. </span><span lang="EN-US">Supersonic flows of cold positive ions are common and can cause a negatively charged wake behind a positively charged spacecraft. The associated induced electric field can be observed and can be used to study the cold ions. We present observations from the Cluster and MMS spacecraft showing how a charged satellite, and also individual charged wire booms of  an electric field instrument, can be used to investigate cold ion populations. </span><span lang="EN-US">Ionospheric ions affect large scales, including the Alfvén velocity and </span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">thus energy transport with waves and the magnetic reconnection rate. These ions also affect small-scale kinetic plasma physics, including the Hall physics and wave instabilities associated with magnetic reconnection. Concerning large scales, we summarize observations from several spacecraft and show that a typical total outflow rate of ionospheric ions is 10<sup>26</sup> ions/s and that many of these ions stay cold also after a long time in the magnetosphere.  Concerning small scales, we show examples of how cold ions modify the Hall physics of thin current sheets, including magnetic reconnection separatrices. On small kinetic scales the cold ions introduce a new length-scale, a gyro radius between the gyro radii of hot (keV) ions and electrons. </span><span lang="EN-US">The Hall currents carried by electrons can be partially cancelled by the cold ions when electrons and the magnetized cold ions ExB drift together. Also, close to a reconnection X-line an additional diffusion region can be formed (regions associated with hot and cold ions, and with electrons, total of three).</span></p>

Cold ions in the hot plasma sheet of Earth's magnetotail

Nature ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 422 (6932) ◽  
pp. 589-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanako Seki ◽  
Masafumi Hirahara ◽  
Masahiro Hoshino ◽  
Toshio Terasawa ◽  
Richard C. Elphic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Sheet ◽  
Hot Plasma ◽  
Cold Ions

scholarly journals Cluster observations of the high-latitude magnetopause and cusp: initial results from the CIS ion instruments

2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (10/12) ◽  
pp. 1545-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Bosqued ◽  
T. D. Phan ◽  
I. Dandouras ◽  
C. P. Escoubet ◽  
H. Rème ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Current Layer ◽  
Transfer Event ◽  
Normal Speed ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Imf

Abstract. Launched on an elliptical high inclination orbit (apogee: 19.6 RE) since January 2001 the Cluster satellites have been conducting the first detailed three-dimensional studies of the high-latitude dayside magnetosphere, including the exterior cusp, neighbouring boundary layers and magnetopause regions. Cluster satellites carry the CIS ion spectrometers that provide high-precision, 3D distributions of low-energy (<35 keV/e) ions every 4 s. This paper presents the first two observations of the cusp and/or magnetopause behaviour made under different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. Flow directions, 3D distribution functions, density profiles and ion composition profiles are analyzed to demonstrate the high variability of high-latitude regions. In the first crossing analyzed (26 January 2001, dusk side, IMF-BZ < 0), multiple, isolated boundary layer, magnetopause and magnetosheath encounters clearly occurred on a quasi-steady basis for ~ 2 hours. CIS ion instruments show systematic accelerated flows in the current layer and adjacent boundary layers on the Earthward side of the magnetopause. Multi-point analysis of the magnetopause, combining magnetic and plasma data from the four Cluster spacecraft, demonstrates that oscillatory outward-inward motions occur with a normal speed of the order of ± 40 km/s; the thickness of the high-latitude current layer is evaluated to be of the order of 900–1000 km. Alfvénic accelerated flows and D-shaped distributions are convincing signatures of a magnetic reconnection occurring equatorward of the Cluster satellites. Moreover, the internal magnetic and plasma structure of a flux transfer event (FTE) is analyzed in detail; its size along the magnetopause surface is ~ 12 000 km and it convects with a velocity of ~ 200 km/s. The second event analyzed (2 February 2001) corresponds to the first Cluster pass within the cusp when the IMF-BZ component was northward directed. The analysis of relevant CIS plasma data shows temporal cusp structures displaying a reverse energy-latitude "saw tooth" dispersion, typical for a bursty reconnection between the IMF and the lobe field lines. The observation of D-shaped distributions indicates that the Cluster satellites were located just a few RE from the reconnection site.Key words. Magnetospheric physics (magnetopause, cusp, and boundary layers; magnetosheath) Space plasma physics (magnetic reconnection)

scholarly journals Secondary Magnetic Reconnection at Earth’s Flank Magnetopause

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. B. Tang ◽  
W. Y. Li ◽  
C. Wang ◽  
Yu. V. Khotyaintsev ◽  
D. B. Graham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Open Field ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Diffusion Region ◽  
Magnetic Shear ◽  
Magnetospheric Multiscale ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Secondary Ion ◽  
Magnetospheric Field

We report local secondary magnetic reconnection at Earth’s flank magnetopause by using the Magnetospheric Multiscale observations. This reconnection is found at the magnetopause boundary with a large magnetic shear between closed magnetospheric field lines and the open field lines generated by the primary magnetopause reconnection at large scales. Evidence of this secondary reconnection are presented, which include a secondary ion jet and the encounter of the electron diffusion region. Thus the observed secondary reconnection indicates a cross-scale process from a global scale to an electron scale. As the aurora brightening is also observed at the morning ionosphere, the present secondary reconnection suggests a new pathway for the entry of the solar wind into geospace, providing an important modification to the classic Dungey cycle.

Observations of Plasma Waves in the Multiple X-line Reconnection at the Magnetopause

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihong Zhong ◽  
Daniel B. Graham ◽  
Yuri V. Khotyaintsev ◽  
Meng Zhou ◽  
Rongxin Tang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Plasma Waves ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Electron Velocity ◽  
Electron Velocity Distribution ◽  
Loss Cone ◽  
Electrostatic Waves ◽  
Magnetospheric Multiscale ◽  
Low Energies ◽  
Velocity Distribution Functions

&lt;p&gt;Plasma waves are one of the important products of the magnetic reconnection process. &amp;#160;Plasma waves can produce particle heating, diffusion, and anomalous effects, which can potentially affect magnetic reconnection. We investigate the evolution and properties of plasma waves during a multiple X-line reconnection event at the magnetopause using measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Both whistler waves and large-amplitude electrostatic waves were observed around the reconnecting current sheet. In these regions, the electron velocity distribution functions consist of a combination of a cold beam at low energies with an anisotropic population or a loss-cone at high energies. The electrostatic waves corresponded to regions where the cold beams are accelerated, while the whistlers corresponded to regions with significant anisotropies or loss cones. When the cold beams were accelerated to higher energies, the whistlers disappeared since the anisotropy or loss-cone distributions became less apparent. These results present the detailed evolution of the plasma waves reflecting the electron dynamics during magnetic reconnection.&lt;/p&gt;

Nonlinear magnetic reconnection models with separatrix jets

1990 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Priest ◽  
L. C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Classical Model ◽  
Diffusion Region ◽  
Slow Mode ◽  
Slowing Down ◽  
Downstream Region ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
Reversed Current

A new theory for fast steady-state magnetic reconnection is proposed that includes many features of recent numerical experiments. The inflow region differs from that in the classical model of Petschek (1964) and the unified linear solutions of Priest & Forbes (1986) in possessing highly curved magnetic field lines rather than ones that are almost straight. A separatrix jet of plasma is ejected from the central diffusion region along the magnetic separatrix. Two types of outflow are studied, the simplest possessing an outflow magnetic field that is potential. The other contains weak standing shock waves attached to the ends of the diffusion region and either slowing down the flow (fast-mode shock) after it crosses the separatrix jet or speeding it up (slow-mode), depending on the downstream boundary conditions. A spike of reversed current slows down the plasma that emerges rapidly from the diffusion region into the more slowly moving downstream region, and diverts most of it along the separatrix jets. In the simplest case the outflow possesses no vorticity over most of the downstream region. The models demonstrate that both upstream and downstream boundary conditions are important in determining which regime of reconnection is produced from a wide variety of possibilities.

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