Ion kinetic features around a lobe reconnection site

M. B. Bavassano Cattaneo, M. F. Marcucci, A. Retinò, G. Pallocchia, H. Rème, I. Dandouras, E. Moebius, B. Klecker, C. W. Carlson, A. Korth, R. Lundin, A. Balogh

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

During a period of mainly northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the Cluster spacecraft are skimming the high latitude southern dusk magnetopause (MP) tailward of the cusp and have frequent encounters with the MP where they detect reconnected flows for which the Walen test has been successfully verified by Retinò et al. in [12]. In the present study we discuss the kinetic signatures of reconnection which appear in the ion data in the magnetosheath boundary layer (MSBL) and in the magneto-spheric boundary layer (BL). Inspection of the distribution functions allows to infer whether the spacecraft are sunward or tailward of the reconnection site and shows that frequently, even on short time scales, the reconnection site moves from sunward to tailward (or viceversa) with respect to the spacecraft, indicating that the space-craft are usually close to the reconnection site. The reflected and transmitted magnetosheath ions, observed by CIS experiment in the MSBL and in the BL respectively, show good agreement with the predictions by kinematical considerations.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of theCluster and Double Star Symposium -5th Anniversary of Cluster in Space
Pages369-372
Number of pages4
Edition598
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2006
Externally publishedYes
Event5th Anniversary of Cluster in Space - Cluster and Double Star Symposium - Noordwijk, Netherlands
Duration: 19 Sept 200523 Sept 2005

Publication series

NameEuropean Space Agency, (Special Publication) ESA SP
Number598
ISSN (Print)0379-6566

Conference

Conference5th Anniversary of Cluster in Space - Cluster and Double Star Symposium
Country/TerritoryNetherlands
CityNoordwijk
Period19/09/0523/09/05

Keywords

  • Kinetic signatures of reconnection
  • Magnetic reconnection
  • Magnetopause
  • Space plasmas

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