Nature Communications (Oct 2020)
Magnetotail reconnection onset caused by electron kinetics with a strong external driver
- San Lu,
- Rongsheng Wang,
- Quanming Lu,
- V. Angelopoulos,
- R. Nakamura,
- A. V. Artemyev,
- P. L. Pritchett,
- T. Z. Liu,
- X.-J. Zhang,
- W. Baumjohann,
- W. Gonzalez,
- A. C. Rager,
- R. B. Torbert,
- B. L. Giles,
- D. J. Gershman,
- C. T. Russell,
- R. J. Strangeway,
- Y. Qi,
- R. E. Ergun,
- P.-A. Lindqvist,
- J. L. Burch,
- Shui Wang
Affiliations
- San Lu
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
- Rongsheng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science, University of Science and Technology of China
- Quanming Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science, University of Science and Technology of China
- V. Angelopoulos
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
- R. Nakamura
- Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences
- A. V. Artemyev
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
- P. L. Pritchett
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California
- T. Z. Liu
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
- X.-J. Zhang
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
- W. Baumjohann
- Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences
- W. Gonzalez
- China-Brazil Joint Laboratory for Space Weather, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
- A. C. Rager
- Department of Physics, Catholic University of America
- R. B. Torbert
- University of New Hampshire
- B. L. Giles
- Heliophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
- D. J. Gershman
- Heliophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
- C. T. Russell
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
- R. J. Strangeway
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
- Y. Qi
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California
- R. E. Ergun
- Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado
- P.-A. Lindqvist
- School of Electrical Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology
- J. L. Burch
- Southwest Research Institute
- Shui Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science, University of Science and Technology of China
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18787-w
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 11,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 7
Abstract
Magnetotail reconnection plays a crucial role in explosive energy conversion in geospace. Here, the authors show that magnetotail reconnection starts from electron reconnection in the presence of a strong external driver, which then develops into ion reconnection.
