A New Perspective on Magnetotail Electron and Ion Divergent Flows: MMS Observations.

ABSTRACT: Fast divergent flows of electrons and ions in the magnetotail plasma sheet are conventionally interpreted as a key reconnection signature caused by the magnetic topology change at the X-line. Therefore, reversals of the x-component (V _x⊥) of the plasma flow perpendicular to the magnetic field must correlate with the sign changes in the north-south component of the magnetic field (B _z ). Here we present observations of the flow reversals that take place with no correlated B _z reversals. We report six such events, which were measured with the high-resolution plasma and fields instruments of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. We found that electron flow reversals in the absence of B _z

SUBMITTER: Motoba T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9788156 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature