Comparative Analysis of the Vlasiator Simulations and MMS Observations of Multiple X-Line Reconnection and Flux Transfer Events.

ABSTRACT: The Vlasiator hybrid-Vlasov code was developed to investigate global magnetospheric dynamics at ion-kinetic scales. Here we focus on the role of magnetic reconnection in the formation and evolution of magnetic islands at the low-latitude magnetopause, under southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions. The simulation results indicate that (1) the magnetic reconnection ion kinetics, including the Earthward pointing Larmor electric field on the magnetospheric side of an X-point and anisotropic ion distributions, are well-captured by Vlasiator, thus enabling the study of reconnection-driven magnetic island evolution processes, (2) magnetic islands evolve due to continuous reconnection at adjacent X-points, "coalescence" which refers to the merging of neighboring islands to create a larg

SUBMITTER: Akhavan-Tafti M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7507759 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature