Journal article
Electron magnetic reconnection without ion coupling in Earth's turbulent magnetosheath
Nature (London), Vol.557(7704), pp.202-206
05/2018
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0091-5
PMID: 29743689
Abstract
Magnetic reconnection in current sheets is a magnetic-to-particle energy conversion process that is fundamental to many space and laboratory plasma systems. In the standard model of reconnection, this process occurs in a minuscule electron-scale diffusion region(1,2). On larger scales, ions couple to the newly reconnected magnetic-field lines and are ejected away from the diffusion region in the form of bi-directional ion jets at the ion Alfven speed(3-5). Much of the energy conversion occurs in spatially extended ion exhausts downstream of the diffusion region(6). In turbulent plasmas, which contain a large number of small-scale current sheets, reconnection has long been suggested to have a major role in the dissipation of turbulent energy at kinetic scales(7-11). However, evidence for reconnection plasma jetting in small-scale turbulent plasmas has so far been lacking. Here we report observations made in Earth's turbulent magnetosheath region (downstream of the bow shock) of an electron-scale current sheet in which diverging bi-directional super-ion-Alfvenic electron jets, parallel electric fields and enhanced magnetic-to-particle energy conversion were detected. Contrary to the standard model of reconnection, the thin reconnecting current sheet was not embedded in a wider ion-scale current layer and no ion jets were detected. Observations of this and other similar, but unidirectional, electron jet events without signatures of ion reconnection reveal a form of reconnection that can drive turbulent energy transfer and dissipation in electron-scale current sheets without ion coupling.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Electron magnetic reconnection without ion coupling in Earth's turbulent magnetosheath
- Creators
- T. D. Phan - University of California, BerkeleyJonathan P. Eastwood - Imperial College LondonM. A. Shay - University of DelawareJ. F. Drake - University of Maryland, College ParkB. U. Ö. Sonnerup - Dartmouth CollegeM. Fujimoto - National Sagamihara HospitalP. A. Cassak - West Virginia UniversityM. Oieroset - Space Sciences Laboratory [Berkeley]J. L. Burch - Southwest Research InstituteR. B. Torbert - University of New HampshireA. C. Rager - Catholic University of AmericaJ. C. Dorelli - Goddard Space Flight CenterD. J. Gershman - Goddard Space Flight CenterC PollockP. S. Pyakurel - University of DelawareC. C. Haggerty - University of DelawareY. V. Khotyaintsev - Swedish Institute of Space PhysicsB. Lavraud - Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-PyrénéesY. Saito - National Sagamihara HospitalM. Oka - University of California, BerkeleyR. E. Ergun - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsAlessandro Retinò - Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueOlivier Le Contel - Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueM. R. Argall - University of New HampshireB. L. Giles - Goddard Space Flight CenterT. E. Moore - Goddard Space Flight CenterF. D. Wilder - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsR. J. Strangeway - University of California, Los AngelesC. T. Russell - University of California, Los AngelesP. A. Lindqvist - KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyW. Magnes - Austrian Academy of SciencesLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Nature (London), Vol.557(7704), pp.202-206
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41586-018-0091-5
- PMID
- 29743689
- NLM abbreviation
- Nature
- ISSN
- 0028-0836
- eISSN
- 1476-4687
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Number of pages
- 5
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/2018
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9985224317702771
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