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Electron Scale Structures and Magnetic Reconnection Signatures in the Turbulent Magnetosheath

Authors :
Yordanova, E
Voros, Z
Varsani, A
Graham, D. B
Norgren, C
Khotyaintsev, Yu. V
Vaivads, A
Eriksson, E
Nakamura, R
Lindqvist, P.-A
Pollock, C
Giles, B. J
Avanov, L. A
Dorelli, J. C
Gershman, D. J
Paterson, W. R
Source :
Geophysical Research Letters. 43(12)
Publication Year :
2016
Publisher :
United States: NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI), 2016.

Abstract

Collisionless space plasma turbulence can generate reconnecting thin current sheets as suggested by recent results of numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission provides the first serious opportunity to verify whether small ion-electron-scale reconnection, generated by turbulence, resembles the reconnection events frequently observed in the magnetotail or at the magnetopause. Here we investigate field and particle observations obtained by the MMS fleet in the turbulent terrestrial magnetosheath behind quasi-parallel bow shock geometry. We observe multiple small-scale current sheets during the event and present a detailed look of one of the detected structures. The emergence of thin current sheets can lead to electron scale structures. Within these structures, we see signatures of ion demagnetization, electron jets, electron heating, and agyrotropy suggesting that MMS spacecraft observe reconnection at these scales.

Subjects

Subjects :
Plasma Physics

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19448007 and 00948276
Volume :
43
Issue :
12
Database :
NASA Technical Reports
Journal :
Geophysical Research Letters
Notes :
SNSB 139/12, , SNSB 175/15, , 313038/STORM, , P24740-N27
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsnas.20170003522
Document Type :
Report
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069191