Ion reflection and transmission during reconnection at the Earth's subsolar magnetopause

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90GL02676· OSTI ID:5452526

Fuselier, S A; Klumpar, D M; Shelley, E G ^[1]

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1. Lockheed Palo Alto Research Lab., CA (USA)

Composition measurements in an accelerated flow event at the Earth's dayside magnetopause show evidence for reflection and transmission of magnetospheric and magnetosheath ion species. Furthermore, a single velocity transformation approximately tangent to the magnetopause surface orders the individual transmitted and reflected ion distributions on both sides of the magnetopause into field-aligned flow at V{sub A}, the local Alfven speed. These observations provide strong evidence for a kinetic description of magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause.

• OSTI ID: 5452526
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 18:2; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CHARGED PARTICLES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
EARTH PLANET
IONIC COMPOSITION
IONS
KINETICS
LAYERS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOPAUSE
MAGNETOSHEATH
PLANETS
PLASMA DRIFT
REFLECTION
TRANSMISSION