Structure of the diffusion region in magnetotail reconnection and its global consequences

ORAL

Abstract

The kinetic structure of the region where the plasmas are decoupled from the magnetic field (diffusion region) during reconnection in Earth's magnetotail will be reported based on recent measurements from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. The structure as exhibited in the plasma distribution functions and electromagnetic fields will be compared with predictions from kinetic simulations to address
(1) how the structure influences the nature of energization for electrons and ions, and
(2) the global consequences of the structural development.

The derived picture of plasma energization will be discussed in light of the understanding obtained for symmetric reconnection from the Magnetic Reconnection eXperiment (MRX). Open questions will be posted for future investigations.

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Presenters

  • Li-Jen Chen

    NASA Goddard, Univ of Maryland-College Park, NASA/GSFC, NASA GSFC, Univ of Maryland-College Park, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Goddard Space Flight Center

Authors

  • Li-Jen Chen

    NASA Goddard, Univ of Maryland-College Park, NASA/GSFC, NASA GSFC, Univ of Maryland-College Park, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Shan Wang

    Univ of Maryland-College Park, NASA/GSFC, UMD/NASA GSFC, Univ of Maryland-College Park, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Univ of Maryland-College Park

  • Naoki Bessho

    Univ of Maryland-College Park, NASA/GSFC, Univ of Maryland-College Park, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Univ of Maryland-College Park

  • Michael Hesse

    University of Bergen

  • Yi-Hsin Liu

    Dartmouth College, NASA/GSFC, Dartmouth

  • Masaaki Yamada

    Princeton Plasma Phys Lab, PPPL

  • Thomas Moore

    NASA/GSFC

  • Barbara Giles

    NASA/GSFC, NASA

  • James L Burch

    Southwest Res Inst

  • Roy Torbert

    University of New Hampshire