Collisionless reconnection in Jupiter's magnetotail

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/91GL00472· OSTI ID:5191065

Zimbardo, G ^[1]

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1. Univ. 'della Calabria (Italy)

The authors present the first quantitative study of collisionless reconnection in Jupiter's magnetotail. Recently it has been shown that collisionless reconnection can occur in the Earth's magnetotail quasi-neutral sheet when the electrons are subject to chaotic pitch angle diffusion. This happens when the curvature parameter K{sub e} = B{sub z}/B{sub 0}(L{sub z}/{rho}{sub e0}){sup 1/2} decreases to {approximately} 1.6. For Jupiter's magnetotail, a self-consistent axisymmetric equilibrium model is used to compute the magnetic field and K{sub e}, and it is found that the condition for electron chaotization is satisfied in a region large enough to allow the growth of a tearing instability. The favorite site for reconnection is situated at about 60 R{sub j}, and the growth time is estimated to be about 370 s, i.e., much shorter than the plasma transit time through the chaotization region. The inductive e.m.f. along a 20 R{sub j} X line is estimated to be of order 100 kV - 1 MV, and should accelerate the ions dawnward and the electrons duskward.

• OSTI ID: 5191065
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 18:4; ISSN GPRLA; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ATMOSPHERES
CHARGED PARTICLES
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
DIFFUSION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
INSTABILITY
IONS
JUPITER PLANET
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOTAIL
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
PLANETS
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
TEARING INSTABILITY