Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause

R. E. Ergun; L. J. Chen; F. D. Wilder; N. Ahmadi; S. Eriksson; M. E. Usanova; K. A. Goodrich; J. C. Holmes; A. P. Sturner; D. M. Malaspina; D. L. Newman; R. B. Torbert; M. R. Argall; P. A. Lindqvist; J. L. Burch; J. M. Webster; J. F. Drake; L. Price; P. A. Cassak; M. Swisdak; M. A. Shay; D. B. Graham; R. J. Strangeway; C. T. Russell; B. L. Giles; J. C. Dorelli; D. Gershman; L. Avanov; M. Hesse; B. Lavraud; O. Le Contel; A. Retino; T. D. Phan; M. V. Goldman; J. E. Stawarz; S. J. Schwartz; J. P. Eastwood; K. J. Hwang; R. Nakamura; S. Wang

doi:10.1002/2016GL072493

Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause

R. E. Ergun
, L. J. Chen
, F. D. Wilder
, N. Ahmadi
, S. Eriksson
, M. E. Usanova
, K. A. Goodrich
, J. C. Holmes
, A. P. Sturner
, D. M. Malaspina
, D. L. Newman
, R. B. Torbert
, M. R. Argall
, P. A. Lindqvist
, J. L. Burch
, J. M. Webster
, J. F. Drake
, L. Price
, P. A. Cassak
, M. Swisdak

M. A. Shay, D. B. Graham, R. J. Strangeway, C. T. Russell, B. L. Giles, J. C. Dorelli, D. Gershman, L. Avanov, M. Hesse, B. Lavraud, O. Le Contel, A. Retino, T. D. Phan, M. V. Goldman, J. E. Stawarz, S. J. Schwartz, J. P. Eastwood, K. J. Hwang, R. Nakamura, S. Wang

University of Colorado Boulder
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
University of Maryland, College Park
University of New Hampshire Durham
Southwest Research Institute
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
West Virginia University
University of Delaware
Swedish Institute of Space Physics
University of California, Los Angeles
IRAP/CNRS
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
LPP
University of California, Space Sciences Laboratory
Imperial College London
Space Research Institute

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

Abstract

Observations of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause often display asymmetric structures that are accompanied by strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations and large-amplitude parallel electric fields (E_||). The B turbulence is most intense at frequencies above the ion cyclotron frequency and below the lower hybrid frequency. The B fluctuations are consistent with a thin, oscillating current sheet that is corrugated along the electron flow direction (along the X line), which is a type of electromagnetic drift wave. Near the X line, electron flow is primarily due to a Hall electric field, which diverts ion flow in asymmetric reconnection and accompanies the instability. Importantly, the drift waves appear to drive strong parallel currents which, in turn, generate large-amplitude (~100 mV/m) E_|| in the form of nonlinear waves and structures. These observations suggest that turbulence may be common in asymmetric reconnection, penetrate into the electron diffusion region, and possibly influence the magnetic reconnection process.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2978-2986
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	44
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072493
Publication status	Published - 16 Apr 2017
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

asymmetric magnetic reconnection
drift waves
parallel electric fields
turbulence

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10.1002/2016GL072493

Cite this

Ergun, R. E., Chen, L. J., Wilder, F. D., Ahmadi, N., Eriksson, S., Usanova, M. E., Goodrich, K. A., Holmes, J. C., Sturner, A. P., Malaspina, D. M., Newman, D. L., Torbert, R. B., Argall, M. R., Lindqvist, P. A., Burch, J. L., Webster, J. M., Drake, J. F., Price, L., Cassak, P. A., ... Wang, S. (2017). Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(7), 2978-2986. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072493

@article{3b4e77b093df493899d94fc90d755aba,

title = "Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause",

abstract = "Observations of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause often display asymmetric structures that are accompanied by strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations and large-amplitude parallel electric fields (E||). The B turbulence is most intense at frequencies above the ion cyclotron frequency and below the lower hybrid frequency. The B fluctuations are consistent with a thin, oscillating current sheet that is corrugated along the electron flow direction (along the X line), which is a type of electromagnetic drift wave. Near the X line, electron flow is primarily due to a Hall electric field, which diverts ion flow in asymmetric reconnection and accompanies the instability. Importantly, the drift waves appear to drive strong parallel currents which, in turn, generate large-amplitude (\textasciitilde{}100 mV/m) E|| in the form of nonlinear waves and structures. These observations suggest that turbulence may be common in asymmetric reconnection, penetrate into the electron diffusion region, and possibly influence the magnetic reconnection process.",

keywords = "asymmetric magnetic reconnection, drift waves, parallel electric fields, turbulence",

author = "Ergun, \{R. E.\} and Chen, \{L. J.\} and Wilder, \{F. D.\} and N. Ahmadi and S. Eriksson and Usanova, \{M. E.\} and Goodrich, \{K. A.\} and Holmes, \{J. C.\} and Sturner, \{A. P.\} and Malaspina, \{D. M.\} and Newman, \{D. L.\} and Torbert, \{R. B.\} and Argall, \{M. R.\} and Lindqvist, \{P. A.\} and Burch, \{J. L.\} and Webster, \{J. M.\} and Drake, \{J. F.\} and L. Price and Cassak, \{P. A.\} and M. Swisdak and Shay, \{M. A.\} and Graham, \{D. B.\} and Strangeway, \{R. J.\} and Russell, \{C. T.\} and Giles, \{B. L.\} and Dorelli, \{J. C.\} and D. Gershman and L. Avanov and M. Hesse and B. Lavraud and \{Le Contel\}, O. and A. Retino and Phan, \{T. D.\} and Goldman, \{M. V.\} and Stawarz, \{J. E.\} and Schwartz, \{S. J.\} and Eastwood, \{J. P.\} and Hwang, \{K. J.\} and R. Nakamura and S. Wang",

year = "2017",

month = apr,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1002/2016GL072493",

language = "English",

volume = "44",

pages = "2978--2986",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

number = "7",

}

Ergun, RE, Chen, LJ, Wilder, FD, Ahmadi, N, Eriksson, S, Usanova, ME, Goodrich, KA, Holmes, JC, Sturner, AP, Malaspina, DM, Newman, DL, Torbert, RB, Argall, MR, Lindqvist, PA, Burch, JL, Webster, JM, Drake, JF, Price, L, Cassak, PA, Swisdak, M, Shay, MA, Graham, DB, Strangeway, RJ, Russell, CT, Giles, BL, Dorelli, JC, Gershman, D, Avanov, L, Hesse, M, Lavraud, B, Le Contel, O , Retino, A, Phan, TD, Goldman, MV, Stawarz, JE, Schwartz, SJ, Eastwood, JP, Hwang, KJ, Nakamura, R & Wang, S 2017, 'Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 44, no. 7, pp. 2978-2986. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL072493

TY - JOUR

T1 - Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause

AU - Ergun, R. E.

AU - Chen, L. J.

AU - Wilder, F. D.

AU - Ahmadi, N.

AU - Eriksson, S.

AU - Usanova, M. E.

AU - Goodrich, K. A.

AU - Holmes, J. C.

AU - Sturner, A. P.

AU - Malaspina, D. M.

AU - Newman, D. L.

AU - Torbert, R. B.

AU - Argall, M. R.

AU - Lindqvist, P. A.

AU - Burch, J. L.

AU - Webster, J. M.

AU - Drake, J. F.

AU - Price, L.

AU - Cassak, P. A.

AU - Swisdak, M.

AU - Shay, M. A.

AU - Graham, D. B.

AU - Strangeway, R. J.

AU - Russell, C. T.

AU - Giles, B. L.

AU - Dorelli, J. C.

AU - Gershman, D.

AU - Avanov, L.

AU - Hesse, M.

AU - Lavraud, B.

AU - Le Contel, O.

AU - Retino, A.

AU - Phan, T. D.

AU - Goldman, M. V.

AU - Stawarz, J. E.

AU - Schwartz, S. J.

AU - Eastwood, J. P.

AU - Hwang, K. J.

AU - Nakamura, R.

AU - Wang, S.

PY - 2017/4/16

Y1 - 2017/4/16

N2 - Observations of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause often display asymmetric structures that are accompanied by strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations and large-amplitude parallel electric fields (E||). The B turbulence is most intense at frequencies above the ion cyclotron frequency and below the lower hybrid frequency. The B fluctuations are consistent with a thin, oscillating current sheet that is corrugated along the electron flow direction (along the X line), which is a type of electromagnetic drift wave. Near the X line, electron flow is primarily due to a Hall electric field, which diverts ion flow in asymmetric reconnection and accompanies the instability. Importantly, the drift waves appear to drive strong parallel currents which, in turn, generate large-amplitude (~100 mV/m) E|| in the form of nonlinear waves and structures. These observations suggest that turbulence may be common in asymmetric reconnection, penetrate into the electron diffusion region, and possibly influence the magnetic reconnection process.

AB - Observations of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause often display asymmetric structures that are accompanied by strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations and large-amplitude parallel electric fields (E||). The B turbulence is most intense at frequencies above the ion cyclotron frequency and below the lower hybrid frequency. The B fluctuations are consistent with a thin, oscillating current sheet that is corrugated along the electron flow direction (along the X line), which is a type of electromagnetic drift wave. Near the X line, electron flow is primarily due to a Hall electric field, which diverts ion flow in asymmetric reconnection and accompanies the instability. Importantly, the drift waves appear to drive strong parallel currents which, in turn, generate large-amplitude (~100 mV/m) E|| in the form of nonlinear waves and structures. These observations suggest that turbulence may be common in asymmetric reconnection, penetrate into the electron diffusion region, and possibly influence the magnetic reconnection process.

KW - asymmetric magnetic reconnection

KW - drift waves

KW - parallel electric fields

KW - turbulence

U2 - 10.1002/2016GL072493

DO - 10.1002/2016GL072493

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85017445607

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 44

SP - 2978

EP - 2986

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 7

ER -

Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause

Abstract

Keywords

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