Impact of the Out‐Of‐Plane Flow Shear on Magnetic Reconnection at the Flanks of Earth's Magnetopause

Liang, Haoming; Chen, Li‐Jen; Bessho, Naoki; Ng, Jonathan

doi:10.1029/2024JA033154

Title: Impact of the Out‐Of‐Plane Flow Shear on Magnetic Reconnection at the Flanks of Earth's Magnetopause

Journal Article · 08 October 2024 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JA033154 · OSTI ID:2461636

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University of Maryland College Park College Park MD USA, NASA‐GSFC Greenbelt MD USA
NASA‐GSFC Greenbelt MD USA

Abstract Magnetic reconnection changes the magnetic field topology and facilitates the energy and particle exchange at magnetospheric boundaries such as the Earth's magnetopause. The flow shear perpendicular to the reconnecting plane prevails at the flank magnetopause under southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions. However, the effect of the out‐of‐plane flow shear on asymmetric reconnection is an open question. In this study, we utilize kinetic simulations to investigate the impact of the out‐of‐plane flow shear on asymmetric reconnection. By systematically varying the flow shear strength, we analyze the flow shear effects on the reconnection rate, the diffusion region structure, and the energy conversion rate. We find that the reconnection rate increases with the upstream out‐of‐plane flow shear, and for the same upstream conditions, it is higher at the dusk side than at the dawn side. The diffusion region is squeezed in the outflow direction due to magnetic pressure which is proportional to the square of the Alfvén Mach number of the shear flow. The out‐of‐plane flow shear increases the energy conversion rate , and for the same upstream conditions, the magnitude of is larger at the dusk side than at the dawn side. This study reveals that out‐of‐plane flow shear not only enhances the reconnection rate but also significantly boosts energy conversion, with more pronounced effects on the dusk‐side flank than on the dawn‐side flank. These insights pave the way for better understanding the solar wind‐magnetosphere interactions.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: NONE; AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 2461636

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 129; ISSN 2169-9380

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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