Characterization of Lower Hybrid Drift Waves During Reconnections in Earth's Magnetotail and its Relation to Electron Heating

Magnetic reconnection is the process where the topology of magnetic field lines is reconfigured, and various plasma species are energized. Reconnection events are observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, which consists of four identical satellites orbiting the Earth's magnetosphere. By measuring various fundamental quantities in both electromagnetic fields and plasma particles, the MMS allows the detailed analysis of reconnection processes, one of which is Lower Hybrid Drift Waves (LHDW). This study focuses on LHDW in twelve magnetic reconnection events in the Earth's magnetotail to characterize how LHDW properties differ in the magnetotail and in the magnetopause. The magnetotail and magnetopause have different plasma parameters with different magnetic reconnection geometry. The magnetotail has a low plasma density, high temperatures, and smaller guide fields compared to reconnection fields. Magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail tends to be more symmetric, whereas more asymmetric in the magnetopause. Due to these differences, LHDWs exhibit different characteristics which require different data analysis techniques. Furthermore, the relation of LHDWs to electron heating is also investigated.