Secondary Magnetic Reconnection at Earth’s Flank Magnetopause

B. B. Tang; W. Y. Li; C. Wang; C. Wang; Yu. V. Khotyaintsev; D. B. Graham; Q. H. Zhang; T. R. Sun; H. Li; X. Y. Wang; K. J. Trattner; B. L. Giles; P. A. Lindqvist; R. E. Ergun; J. L. Burch

doi:10.3389/fspas.2021.740560

Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences (Dec 2021)

Secondary Magnetic Reconnection at Earth’s Flank Magnetopause

B. B. Tang,
W. Y. Li,
C. Wang,
C. Wang,
Yu. V. Khotyaintsev,
D. B. Graham,
Q. H. Zhang,
T. R. Sun,
H. Li,
X. Y. Wang,
K. J. Trattner,
B. L. Giles,
P. A. Lindqvist,
R. E. Ergun,
J. L. Burch

Affiliations

B. B. Tang: State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
W. Y. Li: State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
C. Wang: State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
C. Wang: College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Yu. V. Khotyaintsev: Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
D. B. Graham: Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
Q. H. Zhang: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, China
T. R. Sun: State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
H. Li: State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
X. Y. Wang: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai, China
K. J. Trattner: Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
B. L. Giles: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States
P. A. Lindqvist: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
R. E. Ergun: Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
J. L. Burch: Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2021.740560
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8

Abstract

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We report local secondary magnetic reconnection at Earth’s flank magnetopause by using the Magnetospheric Multiscale observations. This reconnection is found at the magnetopause boundary with a large magnetic shear between closed magnetospheric field lines and the open field lines generated by the primary magnetopause reconnection at large scales. Evidence of this secondary reconnection are presented, which include a secondary ion jet and the encounter of the electron diffusion region. Thus the observed secondary reconnection indicates a cross-scale process from a global scale to an electron scale. As the aurora brightening is also observed at the morning ionosphere, the present secondary reconnection suggests a new pathway for the entry of the solar wind into geospace, providing an important modification to the classic Dungey cycle.

Published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences

ISSN: 2296-987X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy; Science: Physics: Geophysics. Cosmic physics
Website: http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/astronomy-and-space-sciences

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