Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust Region
Abstract The D‐shaped ion velocity distribution generated by the time‐of‐flight (ToF) effect can be considered as an important characteristic of reconnection exhausts in the magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection processes. In this study, we reported the D‐shaped velocity distribution of O+ ions...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085200 |
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| author | T. Wu S. Y. Fu L. Xie Q.‐G. Zong X. Z. Zhou C. Yue W. J. Sun Z. Y. Pu Y. Xiong S. J. Zhao H. Zhang F. B. Yu |
| author_facet | T. Wu S. Y. Fu L. Xie Q.‐G. Zong X. Z. Zhou C. Yue W. J. Sun Z. Y. Pu Y. Xiong S. J. Zhao H. Zhang F. B. Yu |
| author_sort | T. Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The D‐shaped ion velocity distribution generated by the time‐of‐flight (ToF) effect can be considered as an important characteristic of reconnection exhausts in the magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection processes. In this study, we reported the D‐shaped velocity distribution of O+ ions produced by the ToF effect in the magnetotail reconnection exhaust based on the observations from the Cluster spacecraft. The observed cutoff velocity of O+ ions is smaller than that of H+ ions at the same time, which is different from the previous theoretical prediction. We suggested that the difference between the two cutoff velocities is probably due to O+ ions having a larger reconnection diffusion region than H+ ions. We also demonstrated a remote‐sensing method to estimate the spatial scale ratio between the O+ and H+ diffusion regions and the distance from the observation site to the center of the magnetotail reconnection region. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3c941ccd267e4b6ebadbf20423fdd5c9 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-3c941ccd267e4b6ebadbf20423fdd5c92025-08-20T01:50:15ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072020-02-01473n/an/a10.1029/2019GL085200Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust RegionT. Wu0S. Y. Fu1L. Xie2Q.‐G. Zong3X. Z. Zhou4C. Yue5W. J. Sun6Z. Y. Pu7Y. Xiong8S. J. Zhao9H. Zhang10F. B. Yu11School of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaDepartment of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USASchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing ChinaAbstract The D‐shaped ion velocity distribution generated by the time‐of‐flight (ToF) effect can be considered as an important characteristic of reconnection exhausts in the magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection processes. In this study, we reported the D‐shaped velocity distribution of O+ ions produced by the ToF effect in the magnetotail reconnection exhaust based on the observations from the Cluster spacecraft. The observed cutoff velocity of O+ ions is smaller than that of H+ ions at the same time, which is different from the previous theoretical prediction. We suggested that the difference between the two cutoff velocities is probably due to O+ ions having a larger reconnection diffusion region than H+ ions. We also demonstrated a remote‐sensing method to estimate the spatial scale ratio between the O+ and H+ diffusion regions and the distance from the observation site to the center of the magnetotail reconnection region.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085200magnetic reconnectionoxygen ionsreconnection outflow |
| spellingShingle | T. Wu S. Y. Fu L. Xie Q.‐G. Zong X. Z. Zhou C. Yue W. J. Sun Z. Y. Pu Y. Xiong S. J. Zhao H. Zhang F. B. Yu Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust Region Geophysical Research Letters magnetic reconnection oxygen ions reconnection outflow |
| title | Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust Region |
| title_full | Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust Region |
| title_fullStr | Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust Region |
| title_short | Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust Region |
| title_sort | cluster observations on time of flight effect of oxygen ions in magnetotail reconnection exhaust region |
| topic | magnetic reconnection oxygen ions reconnection outflow |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL085200 |
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