In situ evidence of electron energization in the electron diffusion region of magnetotail reconnection

Magnetic reconnection is an explosive energy‐release process in laboratory, space, and astrophysical plasmas. While magnetic fields can “break” and “reconnect” in a very small region called the electron diffusion region (EDR), there have been conflicting theories as to whether this region can be a p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geophysical research. Space physics 2016-03, Vol.121 (3), p.1955-1968
Main Authors: Oka, M., Phan, T.‐D., Øieroset, M., Angelopoulos, V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activation
Demagnetization
Diffusion
diffusion region
Electron diffusion
electron heating
energization
Explosions
Laboratories
Magnetic fields
magnetic reconnection
Plasmas
THEMIS
Upstream
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Summary:Magnetic reconnection is an explosive energy‐release process in laboratory, space, and astrophysical plasmas. While magnetic fields can “break” and “reconnect” in a very small region called the electron diffusion region (EDR), there have been conflicting theories as to whether this region can be a place of rapid energization of plasmas. Here we report a fortuitous encounter of the EDR by The Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) in the Earth's magnetotail where significant heating and demagnetization of electrons were observed. Additional energization was observed on both sides (immediate upstream and downstream) of the EDR, leading to a total of more than an order of magnitude energization across this region. The results demonstrate that despite its minuscule size, the EDR does indeed contribute to the overall process of electron energization via magnetic reconnection. Key Points THEMIS detected the electron diffusion region (EDR) in the magnetotail Significant energization in the direction perpendicular to the local magnetic field in the EDR Nongyrotropic electrons were also detected within the EDR
ISSN:2169-9380
2169-9402
DOI:10.1002/2015JA022040