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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Space Physics

 

Keywords

  • magnetic reconnection
  • energetic particles
  • electric fields

Index Terms

  • Space Plasma Physics: Magnetic reconnection
  • Space Plasma Physics: Plasma energization
  • Space Plasma Physics: Charged particle motion and acceleration
  • Space Plasma Physics: Wave/particle interactions
  • Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy: Energetic particles
Abstract
Cited By (0)
 

Abstract

Cluster observations of energetic electrons and electromagnetic fields within a reconnecting thin current sheet in the Earth's magnetotail

A. Retinò

Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria

R. Nakamura

Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria

A. Vaivads

Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden

Y. Khotyaintsev

Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden

T. Hayakawa

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Japan

K. Tanaka

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

S. Kasahara

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

M. Fujimoto

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

I. Shinohara

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Japan

J. P. Eastwood

Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

M. André

Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden

W. Baumjohann

Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria

P. W. Daly

Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany

E. A. Kronberg

Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany

N. Cornilleau-Wehrlin

Centre d'Etude des Environnements Terrestre et Planétairs, CNRS/IPSL, Vélizy, France

We study the acceleration of energetic electrons during magnetotail reconnection by using Cluster simultaneous measurements of three-dimensional electron distribution functions, electric and magnetic fields, and waves in a thin current sheet. We present observations of two consecutive current sheet crossings where the flux of electrons 35–127 keV peaks within an interval of tailward flows. The first crossing shows the signatures of a tailward moving flux rope. The observed magnetic field and density indicate that the flux rope was very dynamic, and a comparison with numerical simulation suggests a crossing right after coalescence of smaller flux ropes. The second crossing occurs within the ion diffusion region. The flux of electrons is largest within the flux rope where they are mainly directed perpendicular to the magnetic field. At the magnetic separatrices, the fluxes are smaller, but the energy spectra are harder and electrons are mainly field aligned. Reconnection electric fields E Y ∼ 7 mV/m are observed within the diffusion region, whereas in the flux rope, E Y are much smaller. Waves around lower hybrid frequency do not show a clear correlation with energetic electrons. We interpret the field-aligned electrons at the separatrices as directly accelerated by the reconnection electric field in the diffusion region, whereas we interpret the perpendicular electrons as trapped within the flux rope and accelerated by a combination of betatron acceleration with nonadiabatic pitch-angle scattering. Our observations indicate that thin current sheets during dynamic reconnection are important for in situ production of energetic electrons and that simultaneous measurements of electrons and electromagnetic fields within thin sheets are crucial to understand the acceleration mechanisms.

Received 26 June 2008; accepted 30 September 2008; published 27 December 2008.

Citation: Retinò, A., et al. (2008), Cluster observations of energetic electrons and electromagnetic fields within a reconnecting thin current sheet in the Earth's magnetotail, J. Geophys. Res., 113, A12215, doi:10.1029/2008JA013511.

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