Secondary Magnetic Reconnection at Earth's Flank MagnetopauseShow others and affiliations
2021 (English)In: Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, E-ISSN 2296-987X, Vol. 8, article id 740560Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
We report local secondary magnetic reconnection at Earth's flank magnetopause by using the Magnetospheric Multiscale observations. This reconnection is found at the magnetopause boundary with a large magnetic shear between closed magnetospheric field lines and the open field lines generated by the primary magnetopause reconnection at large scales. Evidence of this secondary reconnection are presented, which include a secondary ion jet and the encounter of the electron diffusion region. Thus the observed secondary reconnection indicates a cross-scale process from a global scale to an electron scale. As the aurora brightening is also observed at the morning ionosphere, the present secondary reconnection suggests a new pathway for the entry of the solar wind into geospace, providing an important modification to the classic Dungey cycle.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Frontiers Media SA , 2021. Vol. 8, article id 740560
Keywords [en]
magnetic reconnection, electron diffusion region, magnetopause, solar wind-magnetosphere coupling, solar wind entry
National Category
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics Geophysics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-309826DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2021.740560ISI: 000760632700001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85121757913OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-309826DiVA, id: diva2:1644591
Note
QC 20220315
2022-03-152022-03-152022-06-25Bibliographically approved