Currents and associated electron scattering and bouncing near the diffusion region at Earth's magnetopause

B. Lavraud; Y. C. Zhang; Y. Vernisse; D. J. Gershman; J. Dorelli; P. A. Cassak; J. Dargent; C. Pollock; B. Giles; N. Aunai; M. Argall; L. Avanov; A. Barrie; J. Burch; M. Chandler; L. J. Chen; G. Clark; I. Cohen; V. Coffey; J. P. Eastwood; J. Egedal; S. Eriksson; R. Ergun; C. J. Farrugia; S. A. Fuselier; V. Génot; D. Graham; E. Grigorenko; H. Hasegawa; C. Jacquey; I. Kacem; Y. Khotyaintsev; E. Macdonald; W. Magnes; A. Marchaudon; B. Mauk; T. E. Moore; T. Mukai; R. Nakamura; W. Paterson; E. Penou; T. D. Phan; A. Rager; A. Retino; Z. J. Rong; C. T. Russell; Y. Saito; J. A. Sauvaud; S. J. Schwartz; C. Shen; S. Smith; R. Strangeway; S. Toledo-Redondo; R. Torbert; D. L. Turner; S. Wang; S. Yokota

doi:10.1002/2016GL068359

Currents and associated electron scattering and bouncing near the diffusion region at Earth's magnetopause

B. Lavraud
, Y. C. Zhang
, Y. Vernisse
, D. J. Gershman
, J. Dorelli
, P. A. Cassak
, J. Dargent
, C. Pollock
, B. Giles
, N. Aunai
, M. Argall
, L. Avanov
, A. Barrie
, J. Burch
, M. Chandler
, L. J. Chen
, G. Clark
, I. Cohen
, V. Coffey
, J. P. Eastwood

J. Egedal, S. Eriksson, R. Ergun, C. J. Farrugia, S. A. Fuselier, V. Génot, D. Graham, E. Grigorenko, H. Hasegawa, C. Jacquey, I. Kacem, Y. Khotyaintsev, E. Macdonald, W. Magnes, A. Marchaudon, B. Mauk, T. E. Moore, T. Mukai, R. Nakamura, W. Paterson, E. Penou, T. D. Phan, A. Rager, A. Retino, Z. J. Rong, C. T. Russell, Y. Saito, J. A. Sauvaud, S. J. Schwartz, C. Shen, S. Smith, R. Strangeway, S. Toledo-Redondo, R. Torbert, D. L. Turner, S. Wang, S. Yokota

IRAP/CNRS
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
Chinese Academy of Sciences
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
University of Maryland
West Virginia University
LPP
University of New Hampshire
Millenium Engineering and Integration Company
Southwest Research Institute
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Imperial College London
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Colorado Boulder
Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Space Research Institute (IKI)
ISAS/JAXA
Space Research Institute
University of California, Space Sciences Laboratory
Catholic University of America
Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen
ESAC/ESA
The Aerospace Corporation

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Based on high-resolution measurements from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present the dynamics of electrons associated with current systems observed near the diffusion region of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause. Using pitch angle distributions (PAD) and magnetic curvature analysis, we demonstrate the occurrence of electron scattering in the curved magnetic field of the diffusion region down to energies of 20 eV. We show that scattering occurs closer to the current sheet as the electron energy decreases. The scattering of inflowing electrons, associated with field-aligned electrostatic potentials and Hall currents, produces a new population of scattered electrons with broader PAD which bounce back and forth in the exhaust. Except at the center of the diffusion region the two populations are collocated and appear to behave adiabatically: the inflowing electron PAD focuses inward (toward lower magnetic field), while the bouncing population PAD gradually peaks at 90° away from the center (where it mirrors owing to higher magnetic field and probable field-aligned potentials).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3042-3050
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	43
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068359
Publication status	Published - 16 Apr 2016
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Hall fields
acceleration
electrons
magnetic reconnection
scattering

Access to Document

10.1002/2016GL068359

Cite this

Lavraud, B., Zhang, Y. C., Vernisse, Y., Gershman, D. J., Dorelli, J., Cassak, P. A., Dargent, J., Pollock, C., Giles, B., Aunai, N., Argall, M., Avanov, L., Barrie, A., Burch, J., Chandler, M., Chen, L. J., Clark, G., Cohen, I., Coffey, V., ... Yokota, S. (2016). Currents and associated electron scattering and bouncing near the diffusion region at Earth's magnetopause. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(7), 3042-3050. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068359

@article{e7a98f880eb04367a50f194b546e977b,

title = "Currents and associated electron scattering and bouncing near the diffusion region at Earth's magnetopause",

abstract = "Based on high-resolution measurements from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present the dynamics of electrons associated with current systems observed near the diffusion region of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause. Using pitch angle distributions (PAD) and magnetic curvature analysis, we demonstrate the occurrence of electron scattering in the curved magnetic field of the diffusion region down to energies of 20 eV. We show that scattering occurs closer to the current sheet as the electron energy decreases. The scattering of inflowing electrons, associated with field-aligned electrostatic potentials and Hall currents, produces a new population of scattered electrons with broader PAD which bounce back and forth in the exhaust. Except at the center of the diffusion region the two populations are collocated and appear to behave adiabatically: the inflowing electron PAD focuses inward (toward lower magnetic field), while the bouncing population PAD gradually peaks at 90° away from the center (where it mirrors owing to higher magnetic field and probable field-aligned potentials).",

keywords = "Hall fields, acceleration, electrons, magnetic reconnection, scattering",

author = "B. Lavraud and Zhang, \{Y. C.\} and Y. Vernisse and Gershman, \{D. J.\} and J. Dorelli and Cassak, \{P. A.\} and J. Dargent and C. Pollock and B. Giles and N. Aunai and M. Argall and L. Avanov and A. Barrie and J. Burch and M. Chandler and Chen, \{L. J.\} and G. Clark and I. Cohen and V. Coffey and Eastwood, \{J. P.\} and J. Egedal and S. Eriksson and R. Ergun and Farrugia, \{C. J.\} and Fuselier, \{S. A.\} and V. G{\'e}not and D. Graham and E. Grigorenko and H. Hasegawa and C. Jacquey and I. Kacem and Y. Khotyaintsev and E. Macdonald and W. Magnes and A. Marchaudon and B. Mauk and Moore, \{T. E.\} and T. Mukai and R. Nakamura and W. Paterson and E. Penou and Phan, \{T. D.\} and A. Rager and A. Retino and Rong, \{Z. J.\} and Russell, \{C. T.\} and Y. Saito and Sauvaud, \{J. A.\} and Schwartz, \{S. J.\} and C. Shen and S. Smith and R. Strangeway and S. Toledo-Redondo and R. Torbert and Turner, \{D. L.\} and S. Wang and S. Yokota",

year = "2016",

month = apr,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1002/2016GL068359",

language = "English",

volume = "43",

pages = "3042--3050",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

number = "7",

}

Lavraud, B, Zhang, YC, Vernisse, Y, Gershman, DJ, Dorelli, J, Cassak, PA, Dargent, J, Pollock, C, Giles, B, Aunai, N, Argall, M, Avanov, L, Barrie, A, Burch, J, Chandler, M, Chen, LJ, Clark, G, Cohen, I, Coffey, V, Eastwood, JP, Egedal, J, Eriksson, S, Ergun, R, Farrugia, CJ, Fuselier, SA, Génot, V, Graham, D, Grigorenko, E, Hasegawa, H, Jacquey, C, Kacem, I, Khotyaintsev, Y, Macdonald, E, Magnes, W, Marchaudon, A, Mauk, B, Moore, TE, Mukai, T, Nakamura, R, Paterson, W, Penou, E, Phan, TD, Rager, A, Retino, A, Rong, ZJ, Russell, CT, Saito, Y, Sauvaud, JA, Schwartz, SJ, Shen, C, Smith, S, Strangeway, R, Toledo-Redondo, S, Torbert, R, Turner, DL, Wang, S & Yokota, S 2016, 'Currents and associated electron scattering and bouncing near the diffusion region at Earth's magnetopause', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 43, no. 7, pp. 3042-3050. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068359

TY - JOUR

T1 - Currents and associated electron scattering and bouncing near the diffusion region at Earth's magnetopause

AU - Lavraud, B.

AU - Zhang, Y. C.

AU - Vernisse, Y.

AU - Gershman, D. J.

AU - Dorelli, J.

AU - Cassak, P. A.

AU - Dargent, J.

AU - Pollock, C.

AU - Giles, B.

AU - Aunai, N.

AU - Argall, M.

AU - Avanov, L.

AU - Barrie, A.

AU - Burch, J.

AU - Chandler, M.

AU - Chen, L. J.

AU - Clark, G.

AU - Cohen, I.

AU - Coffey, V.

AU - Eastwood, J. P.

AU - Egedal, J.

AU - Eriksson, S.

AU - Ergun, R.

AU - Farrugia, C. J.

AU - Fuselier, S. A.

AU - Génot, V.

AU - Graham, D.

AU - Grigorenko, E.

AU - Hasegawa, H.

AU - Jacquey, C.

AU - Kacem, I.

AU - Khotyaintsev, Y.

AU - Macdonald, E.

AU - Magnes, W.

AU - Marchaudon, A.

AU - Mauk, B.

AU - Moore, T. E.

AU - Mukai, T.

AU - Nakamura, R.

AU - Paterson, W.

AU - Penou, E.

AU - Phan, T. D.

AU - Rager, A.

AU - Retino, A.

AU - Rong, Z. J.

AU - Russell, C. T.

AU - Saito, Y.

AU - Sauvaud, J. A.

AU - Schwartz, S. J.

AU - Shen, C.

AU - Smith, S.

AU - Strangeway, R.

AU - Toledo-Redondo, S.

AU - Torbert, R.

AU - Turner, D. L.

AU - Wang, S.

AU - Yokota, S.

PY - 2016/4/16

Y1 - 2016/4/16

N2 - Based on high-resolution measurements from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present the dynamics of electrons associated with current systems observed near the diffusion region of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause. Using pitch angle distributions (PAD) and magnetic curvature analysis, we demonstrate the occurrence of electron scattering in the curved magnetic field of the diffusion region down to energies of 20 eV. We show that scattering occurs closer to the current sheet as the electron energy decreases. The scattering of inflowing electrons, associated with field-aligned electrostatic potentials and Hall currents, produces a new population of scattered electrons with broader PAD which bounce back and forth in the exhaust. Except at the center of the diffusion region the two populations are collocated and appear to behave adiabatically: the inflowing electron PAD focuses inward (toward lower magnetic field), while the bouncing population PAD gradually peaks at 90° away from the center (where it mirrors owing to higher magnetic field and probable field-aligned potentials).

AB - Based on high-resolution measurements from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present the dynamics of electrons associated with current systems observed near the diffusion region of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause. Using pitch angle distributions (PAD) and magnetic curvature analysis, we demonstrate the occurrence of electron scattering in the curved magnetic field of the diffusion region down to energies of 20 eV. We show that scattering occurs closer to the current sheet as the electron energy decreases. The scattering of inflowing electrons, associated with field-aligned electrostatic potentials and Hall currents, produces a new population of scattered electrons with broader PAD which bounce back and forth in the exhaust. Except at the center of the diffusion region the two populations are collocated and appear to behave adiabatically: the inflowing electron PAD focuses inward (toward lower magnetic field), while the bouncing population PAD gradually peaks at 90° away from the center (where it mirrors owing to higher magnetic field and probable field-aligned potentials).

KW - Hall fields

KW - acceleration

KW - electrons

KW - magnetic reconnection

KW - scattering

U2 - 10.1002/2016GL068359

DO - 10.1002/2016GL068359

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84979490468

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 43

SP - 3042

EP - 3050

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 7

ER -

Currents and associated electron scattering and bouncing near the diffusion region at Earth's magnetopause

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this