Direct Observation of Magnetic Reconnection Resulting From Interaction Between Magnetic Flux Rope and Magnetic Hole in the Earth's Magnetosheath-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Direct Observation of Magnetic Reconnection Resulting From Interaction Between Magnetic Flux Rope and Magnetic Hole in the Earth's Magnetosheath

Published:2024-06-20 Issue:12 Volume:51 Page:
ISSN:0094-8276
Container-title:Geophysical Research Letters
language:en
Short-container-title:Geophysical Research Letters

Author:

Wang Shimou¹²³^ORCID,Wang Rongsheng¹²³^ORCID,Lu Quanming¹²³^ORCID,Lu San¹²³^ORCID,Huang Kai⁴⁵^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Deep Space Exploration Laboratory/School of Earth and Space Sciences University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China

2. CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology/CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment/Anhui Mengcheng National Geophysical Observatory University of Science and Technology of China Hefei China

3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Astronautical Science and Technology Harbin China

4. School of Physics Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin China

5. Laboratory for Space Environment and Physical Sciences Harbin Institute of Technology Harbin China

Abstract

AbstractWe report in situ observation of magnetic reconnection between magnetic flux rope (MFR) and magnetic hole (MH) in the magnetosheath by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. The MFR was rooted in the magnetopause and could be generated by magnetopause reconnection therein. A thin current sheet was generated due to the interaction between MFR and MH. The sub‐Alfvénic ion bulk flow and the Hall field were detected inside this thin current sheet, indicating an ongoing reconnection. An elongated electron diffusion region characterized by non‐frozen‐in electrons, magnetic‐to‐particle energy conversion, and crescent‐shaped electron distribution was detected in the reconnection exhaust. The observation provides a mechanism for the dissipation of MFRs and thus opens a new perspective on the evolution of MFRs at the magnetopause. Our work also reveals one potential fate of the MHs in the magnetosheath which could reconnect with the MFRs and further merge into the magnetopause.

Funder

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

Publisher

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Link

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2023GL107968

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