Formation, Evolution, and Associated Flows for Flux Transfer Events: 3D Nature of Reconnection

Details Formation, Evolution, and Associated Flows for Flux Transfer Events: 3D Nature of Reconnection Formation, Evolution, and Associated Flows for Flux Transfer Events: 3D Nature of Reconnection

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm43b..05l&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM43B-05

Physics

[2700] Magnetospheric Physics

Scientific paper

In this presentation, we examine the formation and evolution of flux transfer events (FTEs) in our 3D global hybrid simulation of the magnetosphere during southward IMF with no dipole tilt. Some of the questions that we address include: (1) Do FTEs form during periods of southward IMF under steady IMF conditions? (2) What is the trigger mechanism for FTEs and does vortex formation cause FTEs? (3) What is the structure and plasma composition of FTEs? (4) What are the flows associated with FTEs? (5) How does the structure of FTEs evolve in time? (6) How are FTEs in a 3D global hybrid simulation different from FTEs in an equivalent global MHD simulation? 3D reconnection at the dayside magnetopause is found to be quite complex and identification of separatrices in the turbulent environment of magnetosheath is challenging. Preliminary results show evidence of separator reconnection. We compare and contrast the results with FTE formation in 2D global hybrid and 2D global full PIC simulation. The 2D global full PIC simulations show formation of elongated electron layers which become unstable to formation of secondary islands (FTEs). This is consistent with our previous work on 2D Harris sheet. 2D global full PIC and 2D global hybrid simulations show qualitatively similar results. However, there are significant differences in structure, size, evolution, and plasma composition within the FTE in 2D and 3D global hybrid simulations. We will discuss the cause of these differences and their implications for spacecraft studies of FTEs.

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