dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaIn situ evidence for the structure of the magnetic null in a 3D reconnection event in the Earth's magnetotail
| Authors | C. J. Xiao, X. G. Wang, Z. Y. Pu, H. Zhao, J. X. Wang, Z. W. Ma, S. Y. Fu, M. G. Kivelson, Z. X. Liu, Q. G. Zong, K. H. Glassmeier, A. Balogh, A. Korth, H. Reme, C. P. Escoubet |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0606014 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0606014 |
| DOI | 10.1038/nphys342 |
| Journal | Nature Physics, 2, 478-483, 2006 |
Abstract
Magnetic reconnection is one of the most important processes in astrophysical, space and laboratory plasmas. Identifying the structure around the point at which the magnetic field lines break and subsequently reform, known as the magnetic null point, is crucial to improving our understanding reconnection. But owing to the inherently three-dimensional nature of this process, magnetic nulls are only detectable through measurements obtained simultaneously from at least four points in space. Using data collected by the four spacecraft of the Cluster constellation as they traversed a diffusion region in the Earth's magnetotail on 15 September, 2001, we report here the first in situ evidence for the structure of an isolated magnetic null. The results indicate that it has a positive-spiral structure whose spatial extent is of the same order as the local ion inertial length scale, suggesting that the Hall effect could play an important role in 3D reconnection dynamics.
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"abstract": "Magnetic reconnection is one of the most important processes in\nastrophysical, space and laboratory plasmas. Identifying the structure around\nthe point at which the magnetic field lines break and subsequently reform,\nknown as the magnetic null point, is crucial to improving our understanding\nreconnection. But owing to the inherently three-dimensional nature of this\nprocess, magnetic nulls are only detectable through measurements obtained\nsimultaneously from at least four points in space. Using data collected by the\nfour spacecraft of the Cluster constellation as they traversed a diffusion\nregion in the Earth\u0027s magnetotail on 15 September, 2001, we report here the\nfirst in situ evidence for the structure of an isolated magnetic null. The\nresults indicate that it has a positive-spiral structure whose spatial extent\nis of the same order as the local ion inertial length scale, suggesting that\nthe Hall effect could play an important role in 3D reconnection dynamics.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0606014",
"authors": [
"C. J. Xiao",
"X. G. Wang",
"Z. Y. Pu",
"H. Zhao",
"J. X. Wang",
"Z. W. Ma",
"S. Y. Fu",
"M. G. Kivelson",
"Z. X. Liu",
"Q. G. Zong",
"K. H. Glassmeier",
"A. Balogh",
"A. Korth",
"H. Reme",
"C. P. Escoubet"
],
"categories": [
"physics.plasm-ph",
"physics.space-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1038/nphys342",
"journal_ref": "Nature Physics, 2, 478-483, 2006",
"title": "In situ evidence for the structure of the magnetic null in a 3D reconnection event in the Earth\u0027s magnetotail",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0606014"
},
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