Identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of Earth's magnetotail
Abstract A historic challenge to understanding geomagnetic activity is determining where in Earth's magnetotail magnetic energy is converted into particle energy and heat by magnetic reconnection. Key to unravel this fundamental process is in determining the location and extent of the electron...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2016-06-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069355 |
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| author | Maha Ashour‐Abdalla Giovanni Lapenta Raymond Walker Mostafa El‐Alaoui Haoming Liang Meng Zhou Jean Berchem Melvyn L. Goldstein |
| author_facet | Maha Ashour‐Abdalla Giovanni Lapenta Raymond Walker Mostafa El‐Alaoui Haoming Liang Meng Zhou Jean Berchem Melvyn L. Goldstein |
| author_sort | Maha Ashour‐Abdalla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract A historic challenge to understanding geomagnetic activity is determining where in Earth's magnetotail magnetic energy is converted into particle energy and heat by magnetic reconnection. Key to unravel this fundamental process is in determining the location and extent of the electron diffusion region (EDR) where the energy conversion is initiated. We have located the EDR during a substorm on 15 February 2008 by using a combination of global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and particle‐in‐cell (PIC) simulations. Solar wind data were used as input into the MHD simulation, which provided the initial and boundary conditions for the PIC calculation. The simulated reconnection rate was episodic with magnetic reconnection occurring every few seconds. The reconnection site moved several Earth radii in a few minutes. A parameter that measures the breakdown of electron gyrotropy about the magnetic field provided the clearest location of the EDR where changes in magnetic topology and particle acceleration are initiated. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ef29943a78124d708800c30577ca5cc2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-ef29943a78124d708800c30577ca5cc22025-08-20T03:10:24ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-06-0143126005601110.1002/2016GL069355Identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of Earth's magnetotailMaha Ashour‐Abdalla0Giovanni Lapenta1Raymond Walker2Mostafa El‐Alaoui3Haoming Liang4Meng Zhou5Jean Berchem6Melvyn L. Goldstein7Department of Physics and Astronomy University of California Los Angeles California USACenter for Mathematical Plasma Astrophysics KU Leuven, University of Leuven Leuven BelgiumDepartment of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences University of California Los Angeles California USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of California Los Angeles California USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of California Los Angeles California USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of California Los Angeles California USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of California Los Angeles California USAHeliospheric Physics Laboratory Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt Maryland USAAbstract A historic challenge to understanding geomagnetic activity is determining where in Earth's magnetotail magnetic energy is converted into particle energy and heat by magnetic reconnection. Key to unravel this fundamental process is in determining the location and extent of the electron diffusion region (EDR) where the energy conversion is initiated. We have located the EDR during a substorm on 15 February 2008 by using a combination of global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and particle‐in‐cell (PIC) simulations. Solar wind data were used as input into the MHD simulation, which provided the initial and boundary conditions for the PIC calculation. The simulated reconnection rate was episodic with magnetic reconnection occurring every few seconds. The reconnection site moved several Earth radii in a few minutes. A parameter that measures the breakdown of electron gyrotropy about the magnetic field provided the clearest location of the EDR where changes in magnetic topology and particle acceleration are initiated.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069355reconnectionmagnetotailsimulation |
| spellingShingle | Maha Ashour‐Abdalla Giovanni Lapenta Raymond Walker Mostafa El‐Alaoui Haoming Liang Meng Zhou Jean Berchem Melvyn L. Goldstein Identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of Earth's magnetotail Geophysical Research Letters reconnection magnetotail simulation |
| title | Identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of Earth's magnetotail |
| title_full | Identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of Earth's magnetotail |
| title_fullStr | Identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of Earth's magnetotail |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of Earth's magnetotail |
| title_short | Identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of Earth's magnetotail |
| title_sort | identifying the electron diffusion region in a realistic simulation of earth s magnetotail |
| topic | reconnection magnetotail simulation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069355 |
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