Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi-Parallel Shock: Two-Dimensional Local Particle-in-Cell Simulation

Bessho, N.; Chen, L. ‐J.; Wang, S.; Hesse, M.; Wilson, L. B.

doi:10.1029/2019gl083397

Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi-Parallel Shock: Two-Dimensional Local Particle-in-Cell Simulation

Journal Article · Mon Jul 29 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl083397· OSTI ID:1612464

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Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States); DOE/OSTI
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States)
Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD (United States)
Univ. of Bergen (Norway)

Magnetic reconnection in a quasi-parallel bow shock is investigated with two-dimensional local particle-in-cell simulations. In the shock transition and downstream regions, large amplitude magnetic fluctuations exist, and abundant current sheets form. In some current sheets, reconnection occurs, and ion-scale and electron-scale magnetic islands are generated. In electron-scale island regions, only electron outflow jets are observed, producing a quadrupolar out-of-plane magnetic field pattern, while in ion-scale islands, both ions and electrons are involved and energized in reconnection. Finally, normalized reconnection rates are obtained to be between around 0.1 to 0.2, and particle acceleration signatures are seen in distribution functions.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

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

Sponsoring Organization:: National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF); Research Council of Norway; USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0016278

OSTI ID:: 1612464

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1558812

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 46; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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