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MMS Observations of Large Guide Field Symmetric Reconnection Between Colliding Reconnection Jets at the Center of a Magnetic Flux Rope at the MagnetopauseWe report evidence for reconnection between colliding reconnection jets in a compressed current sheet at the center of a magnetic flux rope at Earth's magnetopause. The reconnection involved nearly symmetric Inflow boundary conditions with a strong guide field of two. The thin (2.5 ion-skin depth (d(sub i) width) current sheet (at approximately 12 d(sub i) downstream of the X line) was well resolved by MMS, which revealed large asymmetries in plasma and field structures in the exhaust. Ion perpendicular heating, electron parallel heating, and density compression occurred on one side of the exhaust, while ion parallel heating and density depression were shifted to the other side. The normal electric field and double out-of-plane (bifurcated) currents spanned almost the entire exhaust. These observations are in good agreement with a kinetic simulation for similar boundary conditions, demonstrating in new detail that the structure of large guide field symmetric reconnection is distinctly different from antiparallel reconnection.
Document ID
20170003554
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Oieroset, M.
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Phan, T. D.
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Haggerty, C.
(Delaware Univ. Newark, DE, United States)
Shay, M. A.
(Delaware Univ. Newark, DE, United States)
Eastwood, J. P.
(Imperial Coll. of London London, United Kingdom)
Gershman, D. J.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Drake, J. F.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Fujimoto, M.
(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Sagamihara, Japan)
Ergun, R. E.
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Mozer, F. S.
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Dorelli, J. C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Giles, B. L.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Moore, T. E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Paterson, W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
April 17, 2017
Publication Date
June 4, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Volume: 43
Issue: 11
ISSN: 0094-8276
e-ISSN: 1944-8007
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN41310
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AGS-1103303
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX15AW58G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX08AO83G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX13AD72G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG11PL02A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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