Magnetic reconnection at multi-scales from the bow shock to the magnetopause
Presentation Type
Talk
Presenter Format
In Person Meeting Talk
Topic
Dayside Science
Start Date
10-5-2022 9:55 AM
Abstract
The quasi-parallel bow shock creates highly turbulent conditions favourable for magnetic reconnection in the shock region, its downstream magnetosheath, and at the magnetopause, as will be discussed based on simulations and MMS observations. The dynamic conditions at the bow shock and magnetosheath in particular have been shown by MMS to lead to not only regular but also electron-only reconnection. We discuss 3D global hybrid, and local fully kinetic simulations of reconnection at and downstream of the quasi-parallel shock. In the hybrid simulations with quasi-radial interplanetary magnetic fields, we show how the effects of foreshock turbulence and high-speed jets can produce magnetopause reconnection developed from ion-scale current sheets. In the 3D full PIC simulations of a quasi-parallel shock, we study the evolution of electron-scale reconnecting current sheets. Reconnection driven by shock turbulence is fast and transient, and can occur in conditions where 2D simulations do not show reconnection. 3D electron-scale reconnection in the full PIC simulations are compared to MMS measurements.
Magnetic reconnection at multi-scales from the bow shock to the magnetopause
The quasi-parallel bow shock creates highly turbulent conditions favourable for magnetic reconnection in the shock region, its downstream magnetosheath, and at the magnetopause, as will be discussed based on simulations and MMS observations. The dynamic conditions at the bow shock and magnetosheath in particular have been shown by MMS to lead to not only regular but also electron-only reconnection. We discuss 3D global hybrid, and local fully kinetic simulations of reconnection at and downstream of the quasi-parallel shock. In the hybrid simulations with quasi-radial interplanetary magnetic fields, we show how the effects of foreshock turbulence and high-speed jets can produce magnetopause reconnection developed from ion-scale current sheets. In the 3D full PIC simulations of a quasi-parallel shock, we study the evolution of electron-scale reconnecting current sheets. Reconnection driven by shock turbulence is fast and transient, and can occur in conditions where 2D simulations do not show reconnection. 3D electron-scale reconnection in the full PIC simulations are compared to MMS measurements.
