Energy Conversion by Parallel Electric Fields During Guide Field Reconnection in Scaled Laboratory and Space Experiments
Abstract We present direct and scaled comparisons between laboratory and in situ space observations of magnetic reconnection with a guide field, comparing results from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission and the Magnetic Reconnection eXperiment (MRX). While Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission observ...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079883 |
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| _version_ | 1849727949133053952 |
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| author | W. Fox Victoria Wilder S. Eriksson J. Jara‐Almonte F. Pucci J. Yoo H. Ji M. Yamada R. E. Ergun M. Oieroset T. D. Phan |
| author_facet | W. Fox Victoria Wilder S. Eriksson J. Jara‐Almonte F. Pucci J. Yoo H. Ji M. Yamada R. E. Ergun M. Oieroset T. D. Phan |
| author_sort | W. Fox |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We present direct and scaled comparisons between laboratory and in situ space observations of magnetic reconnection with a guide field, comparing results from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission and the Magnetic Reconnection eXperiment (MRX). While Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission observations obtain high‐resolution and fully kinetic data, MRX observations fully cover the 2‐D reconnection plane near the current sheet, removing uncertainties in situating the measurements compared to the reconnection region. Through scaling transformations, we show a quantitative agreement in magnetic field and current density profiles, which agree within a factor of 2 from each other. The introduction of the guide field causes the energy conversion J·E in the current sheet to be dominated by J||E|| in both cases. However, parallel electric fields reported by recent spacecraft crossings are significantly (5–10 times) larger than values obtained on MRX, highlighting an important issue for understanding energy conversion by reconnection. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-042cd59ae60f4e4ea937a26ea3c7216c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-042cd59ae60f4e4ea937a26ea3c7216c2025-08-20T03:09:42ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-12-01452312,67712,68410.1029/2018GL079883Energy Conversion by Parallel Electric Fields During Guide Field Reconnection in Scaled Laboratory and Space ExperimentsW. Fox0Victoria Wilder1S. Eriksson2J. Jara‐Almonte3F. Pucci4J. Yoo5H. Ji6M. Yamada7R. E. Ergun8M. Oieroset9T. D. Phan10Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton NJ USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USAPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton NJ USAPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton NJ USAPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton NJ USAPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton NJ USAPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton NJ USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder CO USASpace Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley CA USASpace Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley CA USAAbstract We present direct and scaled comparisons between laboratory and in situ space observations of magnetic reconnection with a guide field, comparing results from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission and the Magnetic Reconnection eXperiment (MRX). While Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission observations obtain high‐resolution and fully kinetic data, MRX observations fully cover the 2‐D reconnection plane near the current sheet, removing uncertainties in situating the measurements compared to the reconnection region. Through scaling transformations, we show a quantitative agreement in magnetic field and current density profiles, which agree within a factor of 2 from each other. The introduction of the guide field causes the energy conversion J·E in the current sheet to be dominated by J||E|| in both cases. However, parallel electric fields reported by recent spacecraft crossings are significantly (5–10 times) larger than values obtained on MRX, highlighting an important issue for understanding energy conversion by reconnection.https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079883magnetic reconnectionmagnetosphereenergy conversionguide fieldexperiment |
| spellingShingle | W. Fox Victoria Wilder S. Eriksson J. Jara‐Almonte F. Pucci J. Yoo H. Ji M. Yamada R. E. Ergun M. Oieroset T. D. Phan Energy Conversion by Parallel Electric Fields During Guide Field Reconnection in Scaled Laboratory and Space Experiments Geophysical Research Letters magnetic reconnection magnetosphere energy conversion guide field experiment |
| title | Energy Conversion by Parallel Electric Fields During Guide Field Reconnection in Scaled Laboratory and Space Experiments |
| title_full | Energy Conversion by Parallel Electric Fields During Guide Field Reconnection in Scaled Laboratory and Space Experiments |
| title_fullStr | Energy Conversion by Parallel Electric Fields During Guide Field Reconnection in Scaled Laboratory and Space Experiments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Energy Conversion by Parallel Electric Fields During Guide Field Reconnection in Scaled Laboratory and Space Experiments |
| title_short | Energy Conversion by Parallel Electric Fields During Guide Field Reconnection in Scaled Laboratory and Space Experiments |
| title_sort | energy conversion by parallel electric fields during guide field reconnection in scaled laboratory and space experiments |
| topic | magnetic reconnection magnetosphere energy conversion guide field experiment |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079883 |
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