Electron-scale measurements of magnetic reconnection in space

J. L Burch; M. A Shay; R. B Torbert; Yuri V Khotyaintsev; T. D Phan; P. -A Lindqvist; L. -J Chen; G Marklund; T. E Moore; F. D Wilder; R. E Ergun; D. T Young; J. P Eastwood; K Torkar; D. J Gershman; J Goldstein; P. A Cassak; J. C Dorelli; M. R Argall; L. A Avanov; S Wang; M Oka; M Hesse; D. N Baker; A. N Jaynes; C. J Pollock; B. L Giles; K. A Goodrich; R Nakamura; I. J Cohen; B. H Mauk; D. L Turner; S. A Fuselier; J. F Fennell; C. T Russell; J. B Blake; R. J Strangeway; J Clemmons; J. F Drake; M Goldman; D Newman; S. M Petrinec; K. J Trattner; B Lavraud; P. H Reiff; W Baumjohann; W Magnes; M Steller; W Lewis; Y Saito; V Coffey; M Chandler

doi:10.1126/science.aaf2939

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Electron-scale measurements of magnetic reconnection in space

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Electron-scale measurements of magnetic reconnection in space

J. L Burch, M. A Shay, R. B Torbert, Yuri V Khotyaintsev, T. D Phan, P. -A Lindqvist, L. -J Chen, G Marklund, T. E Moore, F. D Wilder, …

Science, Vol.352(6290), pp.1189-aaf2939

2016

DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf2939

PMID: 27174677

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Abstract

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental physical process in plasmas whereby stored magnetic energy is converted into heat and kinetic energy of charged particles. Reconnection occurs in many astrophysical plasma environments and in laboratory plasmas. Using measurements with very high time resolution, NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has found direct evidence for electron demagnetization and acceleration at sites along the sunward boundary of Earth's magnetosphere where the interplanetary magnetic field reconnects with the terrestrial magnetic field. We have (i) observed the conversion of magnetic energy to particle energy; (ii) measured the electric field and current, which together cause the dissipation of magnetic energy; and (iii) identified the electron population that carries the current as a result of demagnetization and acceleration within the reconnection diffusion/dissipation region.

Natural Sciences

Physical Sciences

Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Fysik

Naturvetenskap

Details

Title: Subtitle: Electron-scale measurements of magnetic reconnection in space
Creators: J. L Burch - Southwest Research Institute
M. A Shay - University of Delaware
R. B Torbert - University of New Hampshire
Yuri V Khotyaintsev - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
T. D Phan - University of California, Berkeley
P. -A Lindqvist - KTH Royal Institute of Technology
L. -J Chen - University of Maryland, College Park
G Marklund - KTH Royal Institute of Technology
T. E Moore - Goddard Space Flight Center
F. D Wilder - University of Colorado Boulder
R. E Ergun - University of Colorado Boulder
D. T Young - Southwest Research Institute
J. P Eastwood - Imperial College London
K Torkar - Austrian Academy of Sciences
D. J Gershman - Goddard Space Flight Center
J Goldstein - Southwest Research Institute
P. A Cassak - West Virginia University
J. C Dorelli - Goddard Space Flight Center
M. R Argall - University of New Hampshire
L. A Avanov - Goddard Space Flight Center
S Wang - University of Maryland, College Park
M Oka - University of California, Berkeley
M Hesse - Goddard Space Flight Center
D. N Baker - University of Colorado Boulder
A. N Jaynes - University of Colorado Boulder
C. J Pollock - Goddard Space Flight Center
B. L Giles - Goddard Space Flight Center
K. A Goodrich - University of Colorado Boulder
R Nakamura - Austrian Academy of Sciences
I. J Cohen - Johns Hopkins University
B. H Mauk - Johns Hopkins University
D. L Turner - The Aerospace Corporation
S. A Fuselier - Southwest Research Institute
J. F Fennell - The Aerospace Corporation
C. T Russell - University of California, Los Angeles
J. B Blake - The Aerospace Corporation
R. J Strangeway - University of California, Los Angeles
J Clemmons - The Aerospace Corporation
J. F Drake - University of Maryland, College Park
M Goldman - University of Colorado Boulder
D Newman - University of Colorado Boulder
S. M Petrinec - Advanced Technology Center
K. J Trattner - University of Colorado Boulder
B Lavraud - Inst Rech Astrophys & Planetol, Toulouse, France
P. H Reiff - Rice University
W Baumjohann - Austrian Academy of Sciences
W Magnes - Austrian Academy of Sciences
M Steller - Austrian Academy of Sciences
W Lewis - Southwest Research Institute
Y Saito - Inst Space & Astronaut Sci, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229, Japan
V Coffey - Marshall Space Flight Center
M Chandler - Marshall Space Flight Center
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Science, Vol.352(6290), pp.1189-aaf2939
DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf2939
PMID: 27174677
NLM abbreviation: Science
ISSN: 1095-9203
eISSN: 1095-9203
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/501100004955, name: Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG; DOI: 10.13039/501100000271, name: UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, award: ST/K001051/1, ST/N000692/1; DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: NASA Solar Terrestrial Probes; DOI: 10.13039/100010174, name: University of Colorado; name: NASA MMS-IDS, award: NNX08AO83G, NNX08AO84G; DOI: 10.13039/501100001859, name: Swedish National Space Board; DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: NSF, award: AGS-0953463, AGS-1460037; DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: NASA, award: NNX16AG76G, NNS16AF75G
Language: English
Date published: 2016
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy; University College Courses
Record Identifier: 9984199934802771

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