Kinetic Alfven wave (KAW) eigenmode in magnetosphere magnetic reconnection

Abstract

AbstractOne prominent signature of collisionless magnetic reconnection in the magnetosphere is the Hall effect. In the ion-scale region of reconnection, ions cannot follow the magnetic field line whereas electrons are still magnetized. The difference in the motions of electrons and ions leads to charge separation, the resulting transverse Hall electric field, the field-aligned streaming of electrons to preserve charge neutrality, and the corresponding Hall magnetic field. Such physics has long been invoked in the discovery of kinetic Alfven waves (KAW) when the perpendicular wavelength becomes comparable to the ion scale. In this review, we present recent progresses in theoretical modeling, numerical simulations and in situ observations that analyze Hall effects in terms of KAW eigenmode. This review will also cover analysis of the impact of KAW eigenmode on the ion acceleration and energy conversion in reconnection. We emphasize that the KAW perspective can provide a unified description of various phenomena in magnetic reconnection, including Hall magnetic fields, Hall electric fields, the field-aligned current, the electric field parallel to B, the non-gyrotropy velocity distribution of ions, and a close connection between Hall fields and a fast reconnection rate ($$\sim$$ ∼ 0.1). The quantitative description of these aspects is necessary for a Petschek-type model in the era of collisionless reconnection.