Observations of whistler mode waves with nonlinear parallel electric fields near the dayside magnetic reconnection separatrix by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission

We show observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission of whistler mode waves in the Earth's low‐latitude boundary layer (LLBL) during a magnetic reconnection event. The waves propagated obliquely to the magnetic field toward the X line and were confined to the edge of a southwar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2016-06, Vol.43 (12), p.5909-5917
Main Authors: Wilder, F. D., Ergun, R. E., Goodrich, K. A., Goldman, M. V., Newman, D. L., Malaspina, D. M., Jaynes, A. N., Schwartz, S. J., Trattner, K. J., Burch, J. L., Argall, M. R., Torbert, R. B., Lindqvist, P.‐A., Marklund, G., Le Contel, O., Mirioni, L., Khotyaintsev, Yu. V., Strangeway, R. J., Russell, C. T., Pollock, C. J., Giles, B. L., Plaschke, F., Magnes, W., Eriksson, S., Stawarz, J. E., Sturner, A. P., Holmes, J. C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astrophysics
boundary layer
Boundary layers
Distribution
Earth
Earth magnetosphere
Electric field
Electric fields
Electron distribution
Electrostatic properties
Fields
Geophysics
Langmuir waves
Magnetic field
Magnetic fields
Magnetic reconnection
Magnetospheres
Missions
nonlinear waves
Oscillations
Phase velocity
Physics
Plasma
Plasma Physics
Polarity
Shoulder
Shoulders
Solitary waves
Velocity
Wave propagation
Whistlers
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Summary:We show observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission of whistler mode waves in the Earth's low‐latitude boundary layer (LLBL) during a magnetic reconnection event. The waves propagated obliquely to the magnetic field toward the X line and were confined to the edge of a southward jet in the LLBL. Bipolar parallel electric fields interpreted as electrostatic solitary waves (ESW) are observed intermittently and appear to be in phase with the parallel component of the whistler oscillations. The polarity of the ESWs suggests that if they propagate with the waves, they are electron enhancements as opposed to electron holes. The reduced electron distribution shows a shoulder in the distribution for parallel velocities between 17,000 and 22,000 km/s, which persisted during the interval when ESWs were observed, and is near the phase velocity of the whistlers. This shoulder can drive Langmuir waves, which were observed in the high‐frequency parallel electric field data. Key Points Whistler mode waves are observed on the magnetic reconnection separatrix These waves are propagating toward the X line Solitary bipolar parallel electric fields appear to be in phase with the wave and may correspond with electron enhancements
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
1944-8007
DOI:10.1002/2016GL069473