Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell Simulation

Abstract Magnetic reconnection in a quasi‐parallel bow shock is investigated with two‐dimensional local particle‐in‐cell simulations. In the shock transition and downstream regions, large amplitude magnetic fluctuations exist, and abundant current sheets form. In some current sheets, reconnection oc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: N. Bessho, L.‐J. Chen, S. Wang, M. Hesse, L. B. Wilson III
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-08-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083397
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850200350393368576
author N. Bessho
L.‐J. Chen
S. Wang
M. Hesse
L. B. Wilson III
author_facet N. Bessho
L.‐J. Chen
S. Wang
M. Hesse
L. B. Wilson III
author_sort N. Bessho
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Magnetic reconnection in a quasi‐parallel bow shock is investigated with two‐dimensional local particle‐in‐cell simulations. In the shock transition and downstream regions, large amplitude magnetic fluctuations exist, and abundant current sheets form. In some current sheets, reconnection occurs, and ion‐scale and electron‐scale magnetic islands are generated. In electron‐scale island regions, only electron outflow jets are observed, producing a quadrupolar out‐of‐plane magnetic field pattern, while in ion‐scale islands, both ions and electrons are involved and energized in reconnection. Normalized reconnection rates are obtained to be between around 0.1 to 0.2, and particle acceleration signatures are seen in distribution functions.
format Article
id doaj-art-d941d305d4df45d990b1d7c2f1e6c317
institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
1944-8007
language English
publishDate 2019-08-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-d941d305d4df45d990b1d7c2f1e6c3172025-08-20T02:12:20ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072019-08-0146169352936110.1029/2019GL083397Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell SimulationN. Bessho0L.‐J. Chen1S. Wang2M. Hesse3L. B. Wilson III4Department of Astronomy University of Maryland College Park MD USAHeliophysics Science Division NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USADepartment of Astronomy University of Maryland College Park MD USABirkeland Centre for Space Science University of Bergen Bergen NorwayHeliophysics Science Division NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAAbstract Magnetic reconnection in a quasi‐parallel bow shock is investigated with two‐dimensional local particle‐in‐cell simulations. In the shock transition and downstream regions, large amplitude magnetic fluctuations exist, and abundant current sheets form. In some current sheets, reconnection occurs, and ion‐scale and electron‐scale magnetic islands are generated. In electron‐scale island regions, only electron outflow jets are observed, producing a quadrupolar out‐of‐plane magnetic field pattern, while in ion‐scale islands, both ions and electrons are involved and energized in reconnection. Normalized reconnection rates are obtained to be between around 0.1 to 0.2, and particle acceleration signatures are seen in distribution functions.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083397shock wavesmagnetic reconnectionPIC simulationEarth's bow shockquasi‐parallel shockacceleration
spellingShingle N. Bessho
L.‐J. Chen
S. Wang
M. Hesse
L. B. Wilson III
Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell Simulation
Geophysical Research Letters
shock waves
magnetic reconnection
PIC simulation
Earth's bow shock
quasi‐parallel shock
acceleration
title Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell Simulation
title_full Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell Simulation
title_fullStr Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell Simulation
title_full_unstemmed Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell Simulation
title_short Magnetic Reconnection in a Quasi‐Parallel Shock: Two‐Dimensional Local Particle‐in‐Cell Simulation
title_sort magnetic reconnection in a quasi parallel shock two dimensional local particle in cell simulation
topic shock waves
magnetic reconnection
PIC simulation
Earth's bow shock
quasi‐parallel shock
acceleration
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083397
work_keys_str_mv AT nbessho magneticreconnectioninaquasiparallelshocktwodimensionallocalparticleincellsimulation
AT ljchen magneticreconnectioninaquasiparallelshocktwodimensionallocalparticleincellsimulation
AT swang magneticreconnectioninaquasiparallelshocktwodimensionallocalparticleincellsimulation
AT mhesse magneticreconnectioninaquasiparallelshocktwodimensionallocalparticleincellsimulation
AT lbwilsoniii magneticreconnectioninaquasiparallelshocktwodimensionallocalparticleincellsimulation