Electron-scale measurements of magnetic reconnection in space

Burch, J. L.; Torbert, R. B.; Phan, T. D.; Chen, Li‐Jen; Moore, T. E.; Ergun, R. E.; Eastwood, J. P.; Gershman, D. J.; Cassak, P. A.; Argall, M. R.; Wang, Shan; Hesse, M.; Pollock, C. J.; Giles, B. L.; Nakamura, R.; Mauk, B. H.; Fuselier, S. A.; Russell, C. T.; Strangeway, R. J.; Drake, J. F.; Shay, M. A.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Lindqvist, Peter; Marklund, G.; Wilder, F. D.; Young, D. T.; Torkar, K.; Goldstein, J.; Dorelli, J.; Avanov, L. A.; Oka, M.; Baker, D. N.; Jaynes, A. N.; Goodrich, K.; Cohen, I. J.; Turner, D. L.; Fennell, J. F.; Blake, J. B.; Clemmons, J. H.; Goldman, M. V.; Newman, D. L.; Petrinec, S. M.; Trattner, K. J.; Lavraud, B.; Reiff, P. H.; Baumjohann, W.; Magnes, W.; Steller, M.; Lewis, W. S.; Saito, Y.; Coffey, V. N.; Chandler, M. O.

doi:10.1126/science.aaf2939

articleScienceMay 13, 2016GREEN OA

Electron-scale measurements of magnetic reconnection in space

JLJ. L. Burch RBR. B. Torbert TDT. D. Phan LCLi‐Jen Chen TET. E. Moore

Southwest Research Institute · University of New Hampshire · +20 more institutions

PubMed

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Abstract

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental physical process in plasmas whereby stored magnetic energy is converted into heat and kinetic energy of charged particles. Reconnection occurs in many astrophysical plasma environments and in laboratory plasmas. Using measurements with very high time resolution, NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has found direct evidence for electron demagnetization and acceleration at sites along the sunward boundary of Earth's magnetosphere where the interplanetary magnetic field reconnects with the terrestrial magnetic field. We have (i) observed the conversion of magnetic energy to particle energy; (ii) measured the electric field and current, which together cause the…

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Topics & keywords

Topics

Keywords

Magnetic reconnection
Physics
Magnetosphere
Particle acceleration
Magnetic energy
Magnetic field
Plasma
Computational physics

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Affordable and clean energy

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