Magnetic Reconnection Inside Solar Wind Rotational Discontinuity During Its Interaction With the Quasi-Perpendicular Bow Shock and Magnetosheath

Guo, Zhifang; Lin, Yu; Wang, Xueyi; Du, Aimin

doi:10.1029/2021ja029979

Magnetic Reconnection Inside Solar Wind Rotational Discontinuity During Its Interaction With the Quasi-Perpendicular Bow Shock and Magnetosheath

Journal Article · Wed Dec 08 00:00:00 EST 2021 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2021ja029979· OSTI ID:1978532

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[2]; Du, Aimin ^[3]

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China); Auburn Univ., AL (United States); OSTI
Auburn Univ., AL (United States)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China)

Here, using a three-dimensional global hybrid simulation, we investigate the formation and evolution of ion-scale magnetic reconnection inside an interplanetary rotational discontinuity (RD) owing to its interaction with the quasi-perpendicular (Q-⟂) bow shock and the magnetosphere. The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is initially predominantly northward, while it changes to purely southward across the RD. A significantly thinned RD current layer with a width ~ ion skin depth and normal magnetic field B_n≈0 is formed by a shock compression process as the RD interacts with the Q-⟂ shock. Magnetic reconnection thereupon takes place inside the thin RD current layer, where Hall magnetic and electric fields, reconnection electric field, and high-speed ion outflow jets are identified. Simultaneously, flux ropes form with an extension of a few ion inertial lengths. As the RD is transmitted into the magnetosheath, multiple reconnection sites lead to the formation of longer flux ropes. Moreover, magnetosheath reconnection is also found at new reconnection sites inside the RD. No reconnection is found in the Q-⟂ shock alone outside the RD. The flux ropes propagate poleward and tailward in the magnetosheath. In addition, magnetopause reconnection takes place under the southward IMF on the sunward side of the RD after the RD passes through the magnetopause.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Auburn Univ., AL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0018071

OSTI ID:: 1978532

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 126; ISSN 2169-9380

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (50)

Investigation of storm time magnetotail and ion injection using three-dimensional global hybrid simulation Lin, Y.; Wang, X. Y.; Lu, S. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JA020005	journal	September 2014
Electron scale structures and magnetic reconnection signatures in the turbulent magnetosheath: CURRENT SHEETS IN THE MAGNETOSHEATH Yordanova, E.; Vörös, Z.; Varsani, A. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl069191	journal	June 2016
THEMIS multispacecraft observations of a reconnecting magnetosheath current sheet with symmetric boundary conditions and a large guide field: Guide Field Magnetosheath Reconnection Øieroset, M.; Phan, T. D.; Shay, M. A. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 44, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL074196	journal	August 2017
MMS Observation of Magnetic Reconnection in the Turbulent Magnetosheath: RECONNECTION IN THE MAGNETOSHEATH Vörös, Z.; Yordanova, E.; Varsani, A. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 122, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA024535	journal	November 2017
Ion Acceleration Inside Foreshock Transients Liu, Terry Z.; Lu, San; Angelopoulos, Vassilis Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 123, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017ja024838	journal	January 2018
Use of a Hybrid Code for Global-Scale Plasma Simulation Swift, Daniel W. Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 126, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1006/jcph.1996.0124	journal	June 1996
The Foreshock Eastwood, J. P.; Lucek, E. A.; Mazelle, C. Space Science Reviews, Vol. 118, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-005-3824-3	journal	June 2005
Magnetospheric Multiscale Overview and Science Objectives Burch, J. L.; Moore, T. E.; Torbert, R. B. Space Science Reviews, Vol. 199, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-015-0164-9	journal	May 2015
Geospace Environment Modeling magnetic reconnection challenge: Simulations with a full particle electromagnetic code Pritchett, P. L. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 106, Issue A3 https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JA001006	journal	March 2001
Reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause during northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions Onsager, T. G.; Scudder, J. D.; Lockwood, M. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 106, Issue A11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JA000444	journal	November 2001
Role of the magnetosheath flow in determining the motion of open flux tubes Cooling, B. M. A.; Owen, C. J.; Schwartz, S. J. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 106, Issue A9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JA000455	journal	September 2001
The dayside reconnection X line Moore, T. E. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 107, Issue A10 https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JA009381	journal	January 2002
Three-dimensional global hybrid simulation of dayside dynamics associated with the quasi-parallel bow shock Lin, Y.; Wang, X. Y. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 110, Issue A12 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005ja011243	journal	January 2005
Location of the reconnection line at the magnetopause during southward IMF conditions Trattner, K. J.; Mulcock, J. S.; Petrinec, S. M. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 34, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL028397	journal	January 2007
Evidence for magnetic reconnection initiated in the magnetosheath Phan, T. D.; Paschmann, G.; Twitty, C. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 34, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL030343	journal	January 2007
Interaction of the bow shock with a tangential discontinuity and solar wind density decrease: Observations of predicted fast mode waves and magnetosheath merging: FAST WAVES AND MAGNETOSHEATH MERGING Maynard, N. C.; Burke, W. J.; Ober, D. M. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 112, Issue A12 https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JA012293	journal	December 2007
Collisionless magnetic reconnection in an asymmetric current sheet: ASYMMETRIC MAGNETIC RECONNECTION Pritchett, P. L. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 113, Issue A6 https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JA012930	journal	June 2008
Hybrid simulations of magnetic reconnection initiated in the magnetosheath: SHEATH RECONNECTION Omidi, N.; Phan, T.; Sibeck, D. G. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 114, Issue A2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2008ja013647	journal	February 2009
Three-dimensional hybrid simulation of magnetosheath reconnection under northward and southward interplanetary magnetic field: MAGNETOSHEATH RECONNECTION Pang, Y.; Lin, Y.; Deng, X. H. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 115, Issue A3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2009ja014415	journal	March 2010
Evidence for a flux transfer event generated by multiple X-line reconnection at the magnetopause: FTE FROM MULTIPLE X-LINES Hasegawa, H.; Wang, J.; Dunlop, M. W. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 37, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL044219	journal	August 2010
Global-scale hybrid simulation of dayside magnetic reconnection under southward IMF: Structure and evolution of reconnection: DAYSIDE RECONNECTION UNDER SOUTHWARD IMF Tan, B.; Lin, Y.; Perez, J. D. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 116, Issue A2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010ja015580	journal	February 2011
Triggering of magnetic reconnection in a magnetosheath current sheet due to compression against the magnetopause: TRIGGERING OF RECONNECTION Phan, T. D.; Love, T. E.; Gosling, J. T. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 38, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL048586	journal	September 2011
Dayside magnetic topology at the Earth's magnetopause for northward IMF: DAYSIDE TOPOLOGY FOR NORTHWARD IMF Fuselier, S. A.; Trattner, K. J.; Petrinec, S. M. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 117, Issue A8 https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JA017852	journal	August 2012
Observational Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection in the Terrestrial Bow Shock Transition Region Wang, Shan; Chen, Li-Jen; Bessho, Naoki Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080944	journal	January 2019
Guide Field Reconnection: Exhaust Structure and Heating Eastwood, J. P.; Mistry, R.; Phan, T. D. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl077670	journal	May 2018
Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Transition Region of Quasi‐Parallel Shocks Gingell, I.; Schwartz, S. J.; Eastwood, J. P. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl081804	journal	February 2019
Magnetosheath Reconnection Before Magnetopause Reconnection Driven by Interplanetary Tangential Discontinuity: A Three‐Dimensional Global Hybrid Simulation With Oblique Interplanetary Magnetic Field Guo, Zhifang; Lin, Yu; Wang, Xueyi Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 123, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018ja025679	journal	November 2018
Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell Simulation Bessho, N.; Chen, L. ‐J.; Wang, S. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083397	journal	August 2019
Turbulence‐Driven Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetosheath Downstream of a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: A Three‐Dimensional Global Hybrid Simulation Lu, Quanming; Wang, Huanyu; Wang, Xueyi Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 47, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085661	journal	January 2020
Can Reconnection be Triggered as a Solar Wind Directional Discontinuity Crosses the Bow Shock? A Case of Asymmetric Reconnection Hamrin, M.; Gunell, H.; Goncharov, O. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 124, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JA027006	journal	November 2019
Magnetopause Reconnection as Influenced by the Dipole Tilt Under Southward IMF Conditions: Hybrid Simulation and MMS Observation Guo, Zhifang; Lin, Yu; Wang, Xueyi Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 125, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ja027795	journal	September 2020
Investigation of the Interaction Between Magnetosheath Reconnection and Magnetopause Reconnection Driven by Oblique Interplanetary Tangential Discontinuity Using Three‐Dimensional Global Hybrid Simulation Guo, Zhifang; Lin, Yu; Wang, Xueyi Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 126, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ja028558	journal	February 2021
Structure and Coalescence of Magnetopause Flux Ropes and Their Dependence on IMF Clock Angle: Three‐Dimensional Global Hybrid Simulations Guo, Jin; Lu, San; Lu, Quanming Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 126, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ja028670	journal	February 2021
Global Hybrid Simulations of Interaction Between Interplanetary Rotational Discontinuity and Bow Shock/Magnetosphere: Can Ion‐Scale Magnetic Reconnection be Driven by Rotational Discontinuity Downstream of Quasi‐Parallel Shock? Guo, Zhifang; Lin, Yu; Wang, Xueyi Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 126, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ja028853	journal	April 2021
Interplanetary current sheets at 1 AU Burlaga, L. F.; Lemaire, J. F.; Turner, J. M. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 82, Issue 22 https://doi.org/10.1029/JA082i022p03191	journal	August 1977
Interplanetary discontinuities: Temporal variations and the radial gradient from 1 to 8.5 AU Tsurutani, Bruce T.; Smith, Edward J. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 84, Issue A6 https://doi.org/10.1029/JA084iA06p02773	journal	January 1979
Fine-scale characteristics of interplanetary sector boundaries Behannon, K. W.; Neubauer, F. M.; Barnstorf, H. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 86, Issue A5 https://doi.org/10.1029/JA086iA05p03273	journal	January 1981
Evidence for magnetic field reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause Sonnerup, B. U. Ö.; Paschmann, G.; Papamastorakis, I. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 86, Issue A12 https://doi.org/10.1029/JA086iA12p10049	journal	January 1981
Magnetic field directional discontinuities: Characteristics between 0.46 and 1.0 AU Lepping, R. P.; Behannon, K. W. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 91, Issue A8 https://doi.org/10.1029/JA091iA08p08725	journal	January 1986
Plasma acceleration at the Earth's magnetopause: evidence for reconnection Paschmann, G.; Sonnerup, B. U. Ö.; Papamastorakis, I. Nature, Vol. 282, Issue 5736 https://doi.org/10.1038/282243a0	journal	November 1979
In situ evidence of magnetic reconnection in turbulent plasma Retinò, A.; Sundkvist, D.; Vaivads, A. Nature Physics, Vol. 3, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys574	journal	March 2007
Electron magnetic reconnection without ion coupling in Earth’s turbulent magnetosheath Phan, T. D.; Eastwood, J. P.; Shay, M. A. Nature, Vol. 557, Issue 7704 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0091-5	journal	May 2018
Properties of asymmetric magnetic reconnection Birn, J.; Borovsky, J. E.; Hesse, M. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2888491	journal	March 2008
Generation of kinetic Alfvén waves in dayside magnetopause reconnection: A 3-D global-scale hybrid simulation Wang, Huanyu; Lin, Yu; Wang, Xueyi Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5092561	journal	July 2019
Interplanetary Magnetic Field and the Auroral Zones Dungey, J. W. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 6, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.6.47	journal	January 1961
Evidence of Diffusion Regions at a Subsolar Magnetopause Crossing Mozer, F. S.; Bale, S. D.; Phan, T. D. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 89, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.015002	journal	June 2002
Kinetic-scale Flux Rope in the Magnetosheath Boundary Layer Yao, S. T.; Shi, Q. Q.; Guo, R. L. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 897, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab9620	journal	July 2020
Solar Wind Discontinuity Transformation at the Bow Shock Kropotina, Julia A.; Webster, Lee; Artemyev, Anton V. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 913, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abf6c7	journal	June 2021
Two-dimensional Particle-in-cell Simulation of Magnetic Reconnection in the Downstream of a Quasi-perpendicular Shock Lu, Quanming; Yang, Zhongwei; Wang, Huanyu The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 919, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac18c0	journal	September 2021
Cluster observations of continuous reconnection at the magnetopause under steady interplanetary magnetic field conditions Phan, T. D.; Dunlop, M. W.; Paschmann, G. Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 22, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-22-2355-2004	journal	January 2004

Similar Records

Global Hybrid Simulations of Interaction Between Interplanetary Rotational Discontinuity and Bow Shock/Magnetosphere: Can Ion-Scale Magnetic Reconnection be Driven by Rotational Discontinuity Downstream of Quasi-Parallel Shock?

Journal Article · Fri Mar 26 20:00:00 EDT 2021 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics · OSTI ID:1852484

Magnetosheath Reconnection Before Magnetopause Reconnection Driven by Interplanetary Tangential Discontinuity: A Three‐Dimensional Global Hybrid Simulation With Oblique Interplanetary Magnetic Field

Journal Article · Sun Nov 11 19:00:00 EST 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics · OSTI ID:1481827

Observations of reconnection of interplanetary and lobe magnetic field lines at the high-latitude magnetopause

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) · OSTI ID:5222241

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
Astronomy & Astrophysics

Magnetic Reconnection Inside Solar Wind Rotational Discontinuity During Its Interaction With the Quasi-Perpendicular Bow Shock and Magnetosheath

Citation Formats

References (50)

Similar Records

Related Subjects