Nature Communications (May 2022)

Direct observations of anomalous resistivity and diffusion in collisionless plasma

  • D. B. Graham,
  • Yu. V. Khotyaintsev,
  • M. André,
  • A. Vaivads,
  • A. Divin,
  • J. F. Drake,
  • C. Norgren,
  • O. Le Contel,
  • P.-A. Lindqvist,
  • A. C. Rager,
  • D. J. Gershman,
  • C. T. Russell,
  • J. L. Burch,
  • K.-J. Hwang,
  • K. Dokgo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30561-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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It is suggested that waves can provide both diffusion and resistivity that can potentially support the reconnection electric field in low-density astrophysical plasmas. Here, the authors show, using direct spacecraft measurements, that the waves contribute to anomalous diffusion but do not contribute to the reconnection electric field.