Magnetic Reconnection, Turbulence, and Particle Acceleration: Observations in the Earth's Magnetotail

R. E. Ergun; K. A. Goodrich; F. D. Wilder; N. Ahmadi; J. C. Holmes; S. Eriksson; J. E. Stawarz; R. Nakamura; K. J. Genestreti; M. Hesse; J. L. Burch; R. B. Torbert; T. D. Phan; S. J. Schwartz; J. P. Eastwood; R. J. Strangeway; O. Le Contel; C. T. Russell; M. R. Argall; P. A. Lindqvist; L. J. Chen; P. A. Cassak; B. L. Giles; J. C. Dorelli; D. Gershman; T. W. Leonard; B. Lavraud; A. Retino; W. Matthaeus; A. Vaivads

doi:10.1002/2018GL076993

Magnetic Reconnection, Turbulence, and Particle Acceleration: Observations in the Earth's Magnetotail

R. E. Ergun
, K. A. Goodrich
, F. D. Wilder
, N. Ahmadi
, J. C. Holmes
, S. Eriksson
, J. E. Stawarz
, R. Nakamura
, K. J. Genestreti
, M. Hesse
, J. L. Burch
, R. B. Torbert
, T. D. Phan
, S. J. Schwartz
, J. P. Eastwood
, R. J. Strangeway
, O. Le Contel
, C. T. Russell
, M. R. Argall
, P. A. Lindqvist

L. J. Chen, P. A. Cassak, B. L. Giles, J. C. Dorelli, D. Gershman, T. W. Leonard, B. Lavraud, A. Retino, W. Matthaeus, A. Vaivads

University of Colorado Boulder
Imperial College London
Space Research Institute
University of Bergen
Southwest Research Institute
University of New Hampshire Durham
University of California, Space Sciences Laboratory
Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
Université Paris-Saclay
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
University of Maryland
West Virginia University
IRAP/CNRS
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
University of Delaware
Swedish Institute of Space Physics

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

Abstract

We report observations of turbulent dissipation and particle acceleration from large-amplitude electric fields (E) associated with strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations in the Earth's plasma sheet. The turbulence occurs in a region of depleted density with anti-earthward flows followed by earthward flows suggesting ongoing magnetic reconnection. In the turbulent region, ions and electrons have a significant increase in energy, occasionally >100 keV, and strong variation. There are numerous occurrences of |E| >100 mV/m including occurrences of large potentials (>1 kV) parallel to B and occurrences with extraordinarily large J · E (J is current density). In this event, we find that the perpendicular contribution of J · E with frequencies near or below the ion cyclotron frequency (f_ci) provide the majority net positive J · E. Large-amplitude parallel E events with frequencies above f_ci to several times the lower hybrid frequency provide significant dissipation and can result in energetic electron acceleration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3338-3347
Number of pages	10
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	45
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2018GL076993
Publication status	Published - 28 Apr 2018
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

magnetic reconnection
parallel electric fields
particle acceleration
turbulent dissipation

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10.1002/2018GL076993

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Ergun, R. E., Goodrich, K. A., Wilder, F. D., Ahmadi, N., Holmes, J. C., Eriksson, S., Stawarz, J. E., Nakamura, R., Genestreti, K. J., Hesse, M., Burch, J. L., Torbert, R. B., Phan, T. D., Schwartz, S. J., Eastwood, J. P., Strangeway, R. J., Le Contel, O., Russell, C. T., Argall, M. R., ... Vaivads, A. (2018). Magnetic Reconnection, Turbulence, and Particle Acceleration: Observations in the Earth's Magnetotail. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(8), 3338-3347. https://doi.org/10.1002/2018GL076993

@article{f2bfb2dd388e416b834cba371a0b8cc5,

title = "Magnetic Reconnection, Turbulence, and Particle Acceleration: Observations in the Earth's Magnetotail",

abstract = "We report observations of turbulent dissipation and particle acceleration from large-amplitude electric fields (E) associated with strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations in the Earth's plasma sheet. The turbulence occurs in a region of depleted density with anti-earthward flows followed by earthward flows suggesting ongoing magnetic reconnection. In the turbulent region, ions and electrons have a significant increase in energy, occasionally >100 keV, and strong variation. There are numerous occurrences of |E| >100 mV/m including occurrences of large potentials (>1 kV) parallel to B and occurrences with extraordinarily large J · E (J is current density). In this event, we find that the perpendicular contribution of J · E with frequencies near or below the ion cyclotron frequency (fci) provide the majority net positive J · E. Large-amplitude parallel E events with frequencies above fci to several times the lower hybrid frequency provide significant dissipation and can result in energetic electron acceleration.",

keywords = "magnetic reconnection, parallel electric fields, particle acceleration, turbulent dissipation",

author = "Ergun, \{R. E.\} and Goodrich, \{K. A.\} and Wilder, \{F. D.\} and N. Ahmadi and Holmes, \{J. C.\} and S. Eriksson and Stawarz, \{J. E.\} and R. Nakamura and Genestreti, \{K. J.\} and M. Hesse and Burch, \{J. L.\} and Torbert, \{R. B.\} and Phan, \{T. D.\} and Schwartz, \{S. J.\} and Eastwood, \{J. P.\} and Strangeway, \{R. J.\} and \{Le Contel\}, O. and Russell, \{C. T.\} and Argall, \{M. R.\} and Lindqvist, \{P. A.\} and Chen, \{L. J.\} and Cassak, \{P. A.\} and Giles, \{B. L.\} and Dorelli, \{J. C.\} and D. Gershman and Leonard, \{T. W.\} and B. Lavraud and A. Retino and W. Matthaeus and A. Vaivads",

year = "2018",

month = apr,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1002/2018GL076993",

language = "English",

volume = "45",

pages = "3338--3347",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

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Ergun, RE, Goodrich, KA, Wilder, FD, Ahmadi, N, Holmes, JC, Eriksson, S, Stawarz, JE, Nakamura, R, Genestreti, KJ, Hesse, M, Burch, JL, Torbert, RB, Phan, TD, Schwartz, SJ, Eastwood, JP, Strangeway, RJ, Le Contel, O, Russell, CT, Argall, MR, Lindqvist, PA, Chen, LJ, Cassak, PA, Giles, BL, Dorelli, JC, Gershman, D, Leonard, TW, Lavraud, B, Retino, A, Matthaeus, W & Vaivads, A 2018, 'Magnetic Reconnection, Turbulence, and Particle Acceleration: Observations in the Earth's Magnetotail', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 3338-3347. https://doi.org/10.1002/2018GL076993

TY - JOUR

T1 - Magnetic Reconnection, Turbulence, and Particle Acceleration

T2 - Observations in the Earth's Magnetotail

AU - Ergun, R. E.

AU - Goodrich, K. A.

AU - Wilder, F. D.

AU - Ahmadi, N.

AU - Holmes, J. C.

AU - Eriksson, S.

AU - Stawarz, J. E.

AU - Nakamura, R.

AU - Genestreti, K. J.

AU - Hesse, M.

AU - Burch, J. L.

AU - Torbert, R. B.

AU - Phan, T. D.

AU - Schwartz, S. J.

AU - Eastwood, J. P.

AU - Strangeway, R. J.

AU - Le Contel, O.

AU - Russell, C. T.

AU - Argall, M. R.

AU - Lindqvist, P. A.

AU - Chen, L. J.

AU - Cassak, P. A.

AU - Giles, B. L.

AU - Dorelli, J. C.

AU - Gershman, D.

AU - Leonard, T. W.

AU - Lavraud, B.

AU - Retino, A.

AU - Matthaeus, W.

AU - Vaivads, A.

PY - 2018/4/28

Y1 - 2018/4/28

N2 - We report observations of turbulent dissipation and particle acceleration from large-amplitude electric fields (E) associated with strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations in the Earth's plasma sheet. The turbulence occurs in a region of depleted density with anti-earthward flows followed by earthward flows suggesting ongoing magnetic reconnection. In the turbulent region, ions and electrons have a significant increase in energy, occasionally >100 keV, and strong variation. There are numerous occurrences of |E| >100 mV/m including occurrences of large potentials (>1 kV) parallel to B and occurrences with extraordinarily large J · E (J is current density). In this event, we find that the perpendicular contribution of J · E with frequencies near or below the ion cyclotron frequency (fci) provide the majority net positive J · E. Large-amplitude parallel E events with frequencies above fci to several times the lower hybrid frequency provide significant dissipation and can result in energetic electron acceleration.

AB - We report observations of turbulent dissipation and particle acceleration from large-amplitude electric fields (E) associated with strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations in the Earth's plasma sheet. The turbulence occurs in a region of depleted density with anti-earthward flows followed by earthward flows suggesting ongoing magnetic reconnection. In the turbulent region, ions and electrons have a significant increase in energy, occasionally >100 keV, and strong variation. There are numerous occurrences of |E| >100 mV/m including occurrences of large potentials (>1 kV) parallel to B and occurrences with extraordinarily large J · E (J is current density). In this event, we find that the perpendicular contribution of J · E with frequencies near or below the ion cyclotron frequency (fci) provide the majority net positive J · E. Large-amplitude parallel E events with frequencies above fci to several times the lower hybrid frequency provide significant dissipation and can result in energetic electron acceleration.

KW - magnetic reconnection

KW - parallel electric fields

KW - particle acceleration

KW - turbulent dissipation

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85045845518

U2 - 10.1002/2018GL076993

DO - 10.1002/2018GL076993

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85045845518

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 45

SP - 3338

EP - 3347

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 8

ER -

Magnetic Reconnection, Turbulence, and Particle Acceleration: Observations in the Earth's Magnetotail

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Keywords

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