Intense Electric Fields and Electron-Scale Substructure Within Magnetotail Flux Ropes as Revealed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

J. E. Stawarz; J. P. Eastwood; K. J. Genestreti; R. Nakamura; R. E. Ergun; D. Burgess; J. L. Burch; S. A. Fuselier; D. J. Gershman; B. L. Giles; O. Le Contel; P. A. Lindqvist; C. T. Russell; R. B. Torbert

doi:10.1029/2018GL079095

Intense Electric Fields and Electron-Scale Substructure Within Magnetotail Flux Ropes as Revealed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

J. E. Stawarz
, J. P. Eastwood
, K. J. Genestreti
, R. Nakamura
, R. E. Ergun
, D. Burgess
, J. L. Burch
, S. A. Fuselier
, D. J. Gershman
, B. L. Giles
, O. Le Contel
, P. A. Lindqvist
, C. T. Russell
, R. B. Torbert

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

Abstract

Three flux ropes associated with near-Earth magnetotail reconnection are analyzed using Magnetospheric Multiscale observations. The flux ropes are Earthward propagating with sizes from ∼3 to 11 ion inertial lengths. Significantly different axial orientations are observed, suggesting spatiotemporal variability in the reconnection and/or flux rope dynamics. An electron-scale vortex, associated with one of the most intense electric fields (E) in the event, is observed within one of the flux ropes. This E is predominantly perpendicular to the magnetic field (B); the electron vortex is frozen-in with E × B drifting electrons carrying perpendicular current and causing a small-scale magnetic enhancement. The vortex is ∼16 electron gyroradii in size perpendicular to B and potentially elongated parallel to B. The need to decouple the frozen-in vortical motion from the surrounding plasma implies a parallel E at the structure's ends. The formation of frozen-in electron vortices within reconnection-generated flux ropes may have implications for particle acceleration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	8783-8792
Number of pages	10
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	45
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079095
Publication status	Published - 16 Sept 2018

Keywords

Earth's magnetotail
Magnetospheric Multiscale
electron vortex
flux ropes
magnetic reconnection

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10.1029/2018GL079095

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Stawarz, J. E., Eastwood, J. P., Genestreti, K. J., Nakamura, R., Ergun, R. E., Burgess, D., Burch, J. L., Fuselier, S. A., Gershman, D. J., Giles, B. L., Le Contel, O., Lindqvist, P. A., Russell, C. T., & Torbert, R. B. (2018). Intense Electric Fields and Electron-Scale Substructure Within Magnetotail Flux Ropes as Revealed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(17), 8783-8792. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079095

@article{67bfcafd5ab048edaecc49a42f891e0b,

title = "Intense Electric Fields and Electron-Scale Substructure Within Magnetotail Flux Ropes as Revealed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission",

abstract = "Three flux ropes associated with near-Earth magnetotail reconnection are analyzed using Magnetospheric Multiscale observations. The flux ropes are Earthward propagating with sizes from ∼3 to 11 ion inertial lengths. Significantly different axial orientations are observed, suggesting spatiotemporal variability in the reconnection and/or flux rope dynamics. An electron-scale vortex, associated with one of the most intense electric fields (E) in the event, is observed within one of the flux ropes. This E is predominantly perpendicular to the magnetic field (B); the electron vortex is frozen-in with E × B drifting electrons carrying perpendicular current and causing a small-scale magnetic enhancement. The vortex is ∼16 electron gyroradii in size perpendicular to B and potentially elongated parallel to B. The need to decouple the frozen-in vortical motion from the surrounding plasma implies a parallel E at the structure's ends. The formation of frozen-in electron vortices within reconnection-generated flux ropes may have implications for particle acceleration.",

keywords = "Earth's magnetotail, Magnetospheric Multiscale, electron vortex, flux ropes, magnetic reconnection",

author = "Stawarz, \{J. E.\} and Eastwood, \{J. P.\} and Genestreti, \{K. J.\} and R. Nakamura and Ergun, \{R. E.\} and D. Burgess and Burch, \{J. L.\} and Fuselier, \{S. A.\} and Gershman, \{D. J.\} and Giles, \{B. L.\} and \{Le Contel\}, O. and Lindqvist, \{P. A.\} and Russell, \{C. T.\} and Torbert, \{R. B.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright}2018. The Authors.",

year = "2018",

month = sep,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1029/2018GL079095",

language = "English",

volume = "45",

pages = "8783--8792",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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Stawarz, JE, Eastwood, JP, Genestreti, KJ, Nakamura, R, Ergun, RE, Burgess, D, Burch, JL, Fuselier, SA, Gershman, DJ, Giles, BL, Le Contel, O, Lindqvist, PA, Russell, CT & Torbert, RB 2018, 'Intense Electric Fields and Electron-Scale Substructure Within Magnetotail Flux Ropes as Revealed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 45, no. 17, pp. 8783-8792. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079095

TY - JOUR

T1 - Intense Electric Fields and Electron-Scale Substructure Within Magnetotail Flux Ropes as Revealed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

AU - Stawarz, J. E.

AU - Eastwood, J. P.

AU - Genestreti, K. J.

AU - Nakamura, R.

AU - Ergun, R. E.

AU - Burgess, D.

AU - Burch, J. L.

AU - Fuselier, S. A.

AU - Gershman, D. J.

AU - Giles, B. L.

AU - Le Contel, O.

AU - Lindqvist, P. A.

AU - Russell, C. T.

AU - Torbert, R. B.

PY - 2018/9/16

Y1 - 2018/9/16

N2 - Three flux ropes associated with near-Earth magnetotail reconnection are analyzed using Magnetospheric Multiscale observations. The flux ropes are Earthward propagating with sizes from ∼3 to 11 ion inertial lengths. Significantly different axial orientations are observed, suggesting spatiotemporal variability in the reconnection and/or flux rope dynamics. An electron-scale vortex, associated with one of the most intense electric fields (E) in the event, is observed within one of the flux ropes. This E is predominantly perpendicular to the magnetic field (B); the electron vortex is frozen-in with E × B drifting electrons carrying perpendicular current and causing a small-scale magnetic enhancement. The vortex is ∼16 electron gyroradii in size perpendicular to B and potentially elongated parallel to B. The need to decouple the frozen-in vortical motion from the surrounding plasma implies a parallel E at the structure's ends. The formation of frozen-in electron vortices within reconnection-generated flux ropes may have implications for particle acceleration.

AB - Three flux ropes associated with near-Earth magnetotail reconnection are analyzed using Magnetospheric Multiscale observations. The flux ropes are Earthward propagating with sizes from ∼3 to 11 ion inertial lengths. Significantly different axial orientations are observed, suggesting spatiotemporal variability in the reconnection and/or flux rope dynamics. An electron-scale vortex, associated with one of the most intense electric fields (E) in the event, is observed within one of the flux ropes. This E is predominantly perpendicular to the magnetic field (B); the electron vortex is frozen-in with E × B drifting electrons carrying perpendicular current and causing a small-scale magnetic enhancement. The vortex is ∼16 electron gyroradii in size perpendicular to B and potentially elongated parallel to B. The need to decouple the frozen-in vortical motion from the surrounding plasma implies a parallel E at the structure's ends. The formation of frozen-in electron vortices within reconnection-generated flux ropes may have implications for particle acceleration.

KW - Earth's magnetotail

KW - Magnetospheric Multiscale

KW - electron vortex

KW - flux ropes

KW - magnetic reconnection

U2 - 10.1029/2018GL079095

DO - 10.1029/2018GL079095

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85053415881

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 45

SP - 8783

EP - 8792

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 17

ER -

Intense Electric Fields and Electron-Scale Substructure Within Magnetotail Flux Ropes as Revealed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

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Keywords

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