Journal article
First resolved observations of the demagnetized electron-diffusion region of an astrophysical magnetic-reconnection site
Physical review letters, Vol.108(22), pp.225005-225005
06/01/2012
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.225005
PMID: 23003609
Abstract
Spatially resolved, diagnostic signatures across the X-line and electron-diffusion region (EDR) by the Polar spacecraft are reported at Earth's magnetopause. The X-line traversal has a local electron's skin depth scale. First, resolved EDR profiles are presented with peak electron thermal Mach numbers >1.5, anisotropy >7, calibrated electron agyrotropy >1, and misordered expansion parameters indicative of demagnetization and strong (150 eV) increases in electron temperature. The amplitude and phase of these profiles correlate well with a guide geometry kinetic simulation of collisionless magnetic reconnection. Such high resolution diagnosis has been made possible by data processing techniques that afford an 11-fold reduction in the aliasing time for the electron moments.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- First resolved observations of the demagnetized electron-diffusion region of an astrophysical magnetic-reconnection site
- Creators
- J D Scudder - University of IowaR D Holdaway - University of IowaW S Daughton - Los Alamos National LaboratoryH Karimabadi - University of California, San DiegoV Roytershteyn - University of California, San DiegoC T Russell - University of California, Los AngelesJ Y Lopez - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Physical review letters, Vol.108(22), pp.225005-225005
- DOI
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.225005
- PMID
- 23003609
- ISSN
- 0031-9007
- eISSN
- 1079-7114
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: National Aeronautics and Space Administration; DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: National Science Foundation
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/01/2012
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199851102771
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