Preprint
Intermittent Electron-Only Reconnection at Lunar Mini-Magnetospheres
arXiv.org
Cornell University
02/02/2024
DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2402.01859
Abstract
Lunar crustal magnetic anomalies (LCMA) are sub-ion-gyroradius structures
that have been shown to stand off the solar wind (SW) plasma from the Moon's
surface, forming shock-like discontinuities and reflecting incident SW protons.
In this letter, the results of high-resolution, two-dimensional fully kinetic
simulations show a bursty electron-only magnetic reconnection in the SW-LCMA
interaction region, characterized by the quasi-periodic formation and ejection
of magnetic islands and strong parallel electron flows along the X-point
separator lines. The islands are observed to modify the magnetic pressure
pile-up and Hall electric field above the LCMA, leading to sharp increases in
reflected protons that drive electromagnetic fluctuations downstream and short
distances upstream in the SW.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Intermittent Electron-Only Reconnection at Lunar Mini-Magnetospheres
- Creators
- Adam StanierLi-Jen ChenAri LeJasper HalekasRhyan Sawyer
- Resource Type
- Preprint
- Publication Details
- arXiv.org
- DOI
- 10.48550/arxiv.2402.01859
- eISSN
- 2331-8422
- Publisher
- Cornell University; Ithaca, New York
- Language
- English
- Date posted
- 02/02/2024
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984557840802771
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