Retreat and reformation of X-line during quasi-continuous tailward-of-the-cusp reconnection under northward IMF

Details Retreat and reformation of X-line during quasi-continuous tailward-of-the-cusp reconnection under northward IMF Retreat and reformation of X-line during quasi-continuous tailward-of-the-cusp reconnection under northward IMF

Aug 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008georl..3515104h&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 35, Issue 15, CiteID L15104

Physics

Plasma Physics

4

Space Plasma Physics: Magnetic Reconnection (2723, 7526), Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetopause And Boundary Layers, Magnetospheric Physics: Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, Magnetospheric Physics: Cusp

Scientific paper

We present observations on 19-20 November 2006 by the Cluster spacecraft that were skimming the high-latitude dusk-flank magnetopause, which are consistent with more than one reconnection X-line present on the tailward side of the cusp under northward IMF. Evidence of quasi-continuous reconnection over 16 hours exists in the form of Alfvénic acceleration of magnetosheath ions found almost always when either of the satellites traversed the boundary. The data indicate that a dominant X-line was sunward of Cluster for most of the time, but ion velocity distributions consisting of two magnetosheath populations demonstrate that for part of the time, more than one X-line existed. Further, the motion of reconnected field lines shows that some X-line(s) retreated tailward. It is inferred that following the X-line retreat, another X-line reformed sunward of Cluster, leading to multiple X-lines.

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