Electron Diffusion Regions in Magnetotail Reconnection Under Varying Guide Fields

Chen, L. ‐J.; Wang, S.; Hesse, M.; Ergun, R. E.; Moore, T.; Giles, B.; Bessho, N.; Russell, C.; Burch, J.; Torbert, R. B.; Genestreti, K. J.; Paterson, W.; Pollock, C.; Lavraud, B.; Le Contel, O.; Strangeway, R.; Khotyaintsev, Yu V.; Lindqvist, P. ‐A.

doi:10.1029/2019GL082393

Title: Electron Diffusion Regions in Magnetotail Reconnection Under Varying Guide Fields

Journal Article · Mon Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL082393· OSTI ID:1560205

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NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USA
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USA, Department of Astronomy University of Maryland College Park MD USA
Department of Physics and Technology University of Bergen Bergen Norway
Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Sciences University of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USA
Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences University of California Los Angeles CA USA
Southwest Research Institute San Antonio TX USA
Southwest Research Institute San Antonio TX USA, Space Science Center University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
Space Science Center University of New Hampshire Durham NH USA
Denali Scientific Healy AK USA
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse (UPS), CNRS, CNES Toulouse France
Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas (UMR7648), CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique/Sorbonne Université/Univ. Paris‐Sud/Observatoire de Paris Paris France
Swedish Institute of Space Physics Uppsala Sweden
KTH Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm Sweden

Abstract Kinetic structures of electron diffusion regions (EDRs) under finite guide fields in magnetotail reconnection are reported. The EDRs with guide fields 0.14–0.5 (in unit of the reconnecting component) are detected by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. The key new features include the following: (1) cold inflowing electrons accelerated along the guide field and demagnetized at the magnetic field minimum while remaining a coherent population with a low perpendicular temperature, (2) wave fluctuations generating strong perpendicular electron flows followed by alternating parallel flows inside the reconnecting current sheet under an intermediate guide field, and (3) gyrophase bunched electrons with high parallel speeds leaving the X‐line region. The normalized reconnection rates for the three EDRs range from 0.05 to 0.3. The measurements reveal that finite guide fields introduce new mechanisms to break the electron frozen‐in condition.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0016278

OSTI ID:: 1560205

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1560207; OSTI ID: 1844382

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Vol. 46 Journal Issue: 12; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 25 works

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