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George DE, Jahn J. Energized Oxygen in the Magnetotail: Onset and Evolution of Magnetic Reconnection. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2020JA028381. [PMID: 36582491 PMCID: PMC9786576 DOI: 10.1029/2020ja028381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen ions are a major constituent of magnetospheric plasma, yet the role of oxygen in processes such as magnetic reconnection continues to be poorly understood. Observations show that significant amounts of energized O+ can be present in a magnetotail current sheet (CS). A population of thermal O+ only has a relatively minor effect on magnetic reconnection. Despite this, published studies have so far only concentrated on the role of the low-energy thermal O+. We present a study of magnetic reconnection in a thinning CS with energized O+ present. Well-established, three-species, 2.5D particle-in-cell (PIC) kinetic simulations are used. Simulations of thermal H+ and thermal O+ validate our setup against published results. We then energize a thermal background O+ based on published in situ measurements. A range of energization is applied to the background O+. We discuss the effects of energized O+ on CS thinning and the onset and evolution of magnetic reconnection. The presence of energized O+ causes a two-regime onset response in a thinning CS. As energization increases in the lower-regime, reconnection develops at a single primary X-line, increases time-to-onset, and suppresses the rate of evolution. As energization continues to increase in the higher-regime, reconnection develops at multiple X-lines, forming a stochastic plasmoid chain; decreases time-to-onset; and enhances evolution via a plasmoid instability. Energized O+ drives a depletion of the background H+ around the central CS. As the energization increases, the CS thinning begins to slow and eventually reverses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don E George
- Space Science and EngineeringSouthwest Research InstituteSan AntonioTXUSA
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioTXUSA
| | - Jörg‐Micha Jahn
- Space Science and EngineeringSouthwest Research InstituteSan AntonioTXUSA
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioTXUSA
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Liu C, Fox W, Bhattacharjee A, Thomas AGR, Joglekar AS. Momentum transport and nonlocality in heat-flux-driven magnetic reconnection in high-energy-density plasmas. Phys Rev E 2018; 96:043203. [PMID: 29347495 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.96.043203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Recent theory has demonstrated a novel physics regime for magnetic reconnection in high-energy-density plasmas where the magnetic field is advected by heat flux via the Nernst effect. Here we elucidate the physics of the electron dissipation layer in this regime. Through fully kinetic simulation and a generalized Ohm's law derived from first principles, we show that momentum transport due to a nonlocal effect, the heat-flux-viscosity, provides the dissipation mechanism for magnetic reconnection. Scaling analysis, and simulations show that the reconnection process comprises a magnetic field compression stage and quasisteady reconnection stage, and the characteristic width of the current sheet in this regime is several electron mean-free paths. These results show the important interplay between nonlocal transport effects and generation of anisotropic components to the distribution function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - William Fox
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA
| | - Amitava Bhattacharjee
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.,Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA
| | - Alexander G R Thomas
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, United Kingdom.,Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Archis S Joglekar
- Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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Mistry R, Eastwood JP, Haggerty CC, Shay MA, Phan TD, Hietala H, Cassak PA. Observations of Hall Reconnection Physics Far Downstream of the X Line. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 117:185102. [PMID: 27835012 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.117.185102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Observations made using the Wind spacecraft of Hall magnetic fields in solar wind reconnection exhausts are presented. These observations are consistent with the generation of Hall fields by a narrow ion inertial scale current layer near the separatrix, which is confirmed with an appropriately scaled particle-in-cell simulation that shows excellent agreement with observations. The Hall fields are observed thousands of ion inertial lengths downstream from the reconnection X line, indicating that narrow regions of kinetic dynamics can persist extremely far downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Mistry
- The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - J P Eastwood
- The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - C C Haggerty
- Bartol Research Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - M A Shay
- Bartol Research Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - T D Phan
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - H Hietala
- Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - P A Cassak
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA
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Malyshkin LM. Model of Hall reconnection. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2008; 101:225001. [PMID: 19113486 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.101.225001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The rate of quasistationary, two-dimensional magnetic reconnection is calculated in the framework of incompressible Hall magnetohydrodynamics, which includes the Hall and electron pressure terms in Ohm's law. The Hall-magnetohydrodynamics equations are solved in a local region across the reconnection electron layer, including only the upstream region and the layer center. In the case when the ion inertial length di is larger than the Sweet-Parker reconnection layer thickness, the dimensionless reconnection rate is found to be independent of the electrical resistivity and equal to di/L, where L is the scale length of the external magnetic field in the upstream region outside the electron layer and the ion layer thickness is found to be di.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid M Malyshkin
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
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Cassak PA, Shay MA, Drake JF. Catastrophe model for fast magnetic reconnection onset. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2005; 95:235002. [PMID: 16384311 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.95.235002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2005] [Revised: 06/09/2005] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
A catastrophe model for the onset of fast magnetic reconnection is presented that suggests why plasma systems with magnetic free energy remain apparently stable for long times and then suddenly release their energy. For a given set of plasma parameters there are generally two stable reconnection solutions: a slow (Sweet-Parker) solution and a fast (Alfvénic) Hall reconnection solution. Below a critical resistivity the slow solution disappears and fast reconnection dominates. Scaling arguments predicting the two solutions and the critical resistivity are confirmed with two-fluid simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Cassak
- University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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Wygant JR, Cattell CA, Lysak R, Song Y, Dombeck J, McFadden J, Mozer FS, Carlson CW, Parks G, Lucek EA, Balogh A, Andre M, Reme H, Hesse M, Mouikis C. Cluster observations of an intense normal component of the electric field at a thin reconnecting current sheet in the tail and its role in the shock-like acceleration of the ion fluid into the separatrix region. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004ja010708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. R. Wygant
- School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - C. A. Cattell
- School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - R. Lysak
- School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - Y. Song
- School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - J. Dombeck
- School of Physics and Astronomy; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis Minnesota USA
| | - J. McFadden
- Space Sciences Laboratory; University of California; Berkeley California USA
| | - F. S. Mozer
- Space Sciences Laboratory; University of California; Berkeley California USA
| | - C. W. Carlson
- Space Sciences Laboratory; University of California; Berkeley California USA
| | - G. Parks
- Space Sciences Laboratory; University of California; Berkeley California USA
| | - E. A. Lucek
- Blackett Laboratory; Imperial College; London UK
| | - A. Balogh
- Blackett Laboratory; Imperial College; London UK
| | - M. Andre
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics; Uppsala Division; Uppsala Sweden
| | - H. Reme
- Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements; Toulouse France
| | - M. Hesse
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Greenbelt Maryland USA
| | - C. Mouikis
- University of New Hampshire; Durham New Hampshire USA
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Morales LF, Dasso S, Gómez DO. Hall effect in incompressible magnetic reconnection. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004ja010675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura F. Morales
- Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE), Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Sergio Dasso
- Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE), Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Daniel O. Gómez
- Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE), Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
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Huba JD, Rudakov LI. Hall magnetic reconnection rate. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2004; 93:175003. [PMID: 15525085 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.93.175003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2004] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional Hall magnetohydrodynamic simulations are used to determine the magnetic reconnection rate in the Hall limit. The simulations are run until a steady state is achieved for four initial current sheet thicknesses: L=1,5,10, and 20c/omega(pi), where c/omega(pi) is the ion inertial length. It is found that the asymptotic (i.e., time independent) state of the system is nearly independent of the initial current sheet width. Specifically, the Hall reconnection rate is weakly dependent on the initial current layer width and is partial differential Phi/ partial differential t less, similar 0.1V(A0)B0, where Phi the reconnected flux, and V(A0) and B0 are the Alfvén velocity and magnetic field strength in the upstream region. Moreover, this rate appears to be independent of the scale length on which the electron "frozen-in" condition is broken (as long as it is <c/omega(pi)) and of the system size.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Huba
- Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA
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Mozer FS, Bale SD, Phan TD. Evidence of diffusion regions at a subsolar magnetopause crossing. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2002; 89:015002. [PMID: 12097047 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.89.015002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2002] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
On 1 April 2001, the Polar satellite crossed a subsolar magnetopause associated with antiparallel magnetic fields. Over a width approximately 6 magnetosheath ion skin depths (approximately 3 magnetospheric ion skin depths), perpendicular ion flows different from E x B/B(2) as well as Hall magnetic and electric field signatures were observed. At a smaller scale, the electron flow decoupled from the magnetic field near a deep minimum in the magnetic field strength. Separatrices were identified as boundaries of low frequency electric field turbulence associated with density minima and parallel electric fields. The reconnection rate was less than 2% of the asymptotic Alfvén speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- F S Mozer
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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Scudder JD. Fingerprints of collisionless reconnection at the separator, I, Ambipolar-Hall signatures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2001ja000126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Pritchett PL. Collisionless magnetic reconnection in a three-dimensional open system. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2001ja000016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Oieroset M, Phan TD, Fujimoto M, Lin RP, Lepping RP. In situ detection of collisionless reconnection in the Earth's magnetotail. Nature 2001; 412:414-7. [PMID: 11473310 DOI: 10.1038/35086520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 411] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic reconnection is the process by which magnetic field lines of opposite polarity reconfigure to a lower-energy state, with the release of magnetic energy to the surroundings. Reconnection at the Earth's dayside magnetopause and in the magnetotail allows the solar wind into the magnetosphere. It begins in a small 'diffusion region', where a kink in the newly reconnected lines produces jets of plasma away from the region. Although plasma jets from reconnection have previously been reported, the physical processes that underlie jet formation have remained poorly understood because of the scarcity of in situ observations of the minuscule diffusion region. Theoretically, both resistive and collisionless processes can initiate reconnection, but which process dominates in the magnetosphere is still debated. Here we report the serendipitous encounter of the Wind spacecraft with an active reconnection diffusion region, in which are detected key processes predicted by models of collisionless reconnection. The data therefore demonstrate that collisionless reconnection occurs in the magnetotail.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Oieroset
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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Pritchett PL. Geospace Environment Modeling magnetic reconnection challenge: Simulations with a full particle electromagnetic code. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/1999ja001006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 300] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Ma ZW, Bhattacharjee A. Hall magnetohydrodynamic reconnection: The Geospace Environment Modeling challenge. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/1999ja001004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Kuznetsova MM, Hesse M, Winske D. Collisionless reconnection supported by nongyrotropic pressure effects in hybrid and particle simulations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/1999ja001003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Birn J, Drake JF, Shay MA, Rogers BN, Denton RE, Hesse M, Kuznetsova M, Ma ZW, Bhattacharjee A, Otto A, Pritchett PL. Geospace Environmental Modeling (GEM) Magnetic Reconnection Challenge. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/1999ja900449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 991] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Otto A. Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) magnetic reconnection challenge: MHD and Hall MHD-constant and current dependent resistivity models. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/1999ja001005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Birn J, Hesse M. Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) magnetic reconnection challenge: Resistive tearing, anisotropic pressure and Hall effects. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/1999ja001001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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