Estimates of terms in Ohm's law during an encounter with an electron diffusion region

R. B Torbert; T Phan; C. A Kletzing; J. L Burch; S Bounds; B. L Giles; D Gershman; C. J Pollock; J Dorelli; L Avanov; M. R Argall; J Shuster; R. J Strangeway; C. T Russell; R. E Ergun; F. D Wilder; K Goodrich; H. A Faith; C. J Farrugia; Yuri Khotyaintsev; P. -A Lindqvist; T. E Moore; G Marklund; W Daughton; W Magnes

doi:10.1002/2016GL069553

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Estimates of terms in Ohm's law during an encounter with an electron diffusion region

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Estimates of terms in Ohm's law during an encounter with an electron diffusion region

R. B Torbert, T Phan, C. A Kletzing, J. L Burch, S Bounds, B. L Giles, D Gershman, C. J Pollock, J Dorelli, L Avanov, …

Geophysical Research Letters, Vol.43(12), pp.5918-5925

2016

DOI: 10.1002/2016GL069553

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Abstract

We present measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission taken during a reconnection event on the dayside magnetopause which includes a passage through an electron diffusion region (EDR). The four MMS satellites were separated by about 10 km such that estimates of gradients and divergences allow a reasonable estimate of terms in the generalized Ohm's law, which is key to investigating the energy dissipation during reconnection. The strength and character of dissipation mechanisms determines how magnetic energy is released. We show that both electron pressure gradients and electron inertial effects are important, but not the only participants in reconnection near EDRs, since there are residuals of a few mV/m (similar to 30-50%) of E + U-e x B (from the sum of these two terms) during the encounters. These results are compared to a simulation, which exhibits many of the observed features, but where relatively little residual is present.

Natural Sciences

Physical Sciences

Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

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Title: Subtitle: Estimates of terms in Ohm's law during an encounter with an electron diffusion region
Creators: R. B Torbert - University of New Hampshire
T Phan - University of California, Berkeley
C. A Kletzing - University of Iowa
J. L Burch - Southwest Research Institute
S Bounds - University of Iowa
B. L Giles - Goddard Space Flight Center
D Gershman - Goddard Space Flight Center
C. J Pollock - Goddard Space Flight Center
J Dorelli - Goddard Space Flight Center
L Avanov - Goddard Space Flight Center
M. R Argall - University of New Hampshire
J Shuster - University of New Hampshire
R. J Strangeway - University of California, Los Angeles
C. T Russell - University of California, Los Angeles
R. E Ergun - University of Colorado Boulder
F. D Wilder - University of Colorado Boulder
K Goodrich - University of Colorado Boulder
H. A Faith - University of New Hampshire
C. J Farrugia - University of New Hampshire
Yuri Khotyaintsev - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
P. -A Lindqvist - KTH Royal Institute of Technology
T. E Moore - Goddard Space Flight Center
G Marklund - KTH Royal Institute of Technology
W Daughton - Los Alamos National Laboratory
W Magnes - Austrian Academy of Sciences
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol.43(12), pp.5918-5925
DOI: 10.1002/2016GL069553
ISSN: 1944-8007
eISSN: 1944-8007
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: NASA, award: NNG04EB99C
Language: English
Date published: 2016
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199849402771

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