Observations of Dynamical Flux Ropes and Active Multiple X-Line Reconnection at Earth's MagnetopauseShow others and affiliations
2023 (English)In: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics, ISSN 2169-9380, E-ISSN 2169-9402, Vol. 128, no 3, article id e2022JA031091Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
This paper presents the magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) observations of three flux ropes (FRs) sequentially in a reconnection exhaust at Earth's magnetopause. Three active X-lines, which are responsible for the formation of these FRs, were also detected by MMS, providing strong evidence that the FRs were generated by multiple X-line reconnection. We find that the core field inside the FRs considerably affects the Hall current in the adjacent X-lines. The intense core field of the FRs deflected the electron outflow jet, forming the electron-scale Hall magnetic field on the magnetosheath side. Additionally, an active secondary reconnection was observed at the center of one FR. This secondary reconnection split the FR into two smaller FRs and produced sharp density gradients and intense fluctuations of electric field and current within the FR. These observations advance the understanding of the formation and evolution of FRs during multiple X-line reconnection at magnetopause.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2023. Vol. 128, no 3, article id e2022JA031091
Keywords [en]
multiple X-line reconnection, flux ropes, Earth's magnetopause, secondary reconnection, electron-scale Hall magnetic field
National Category
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-500025DOI: 10.1029/2022JA031091ISI: 000947158800001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-500025DiVA, id: diva2:1749854
2023-04-112023-04-112023-04-11Bibliographically approved