Evidence for an elongated (>60 ion skin depths) electron diffusion region during fast magnetic reconnection

被引:152
作者
Phan, T. D. [1 ]
Drake, J. F. [1 ,2 ]
Shay, M. A. [3 ]
Mozer, F. S. [1 ]
Eastwood, J. P. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Calif Berkeley, Space Sci Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
[2] Univ Maryland, College Pk, MD 20742 USA
[3] Univ Delaware, Dept Phys & Astron, Newark, DE 19716 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.255002
中图分类号
O4 [物理学];
学科分类号
0702 ;
摘要
Observations of an extremely elongated electron diffusion region occurring during fast reconnection are presented. Cluster spacecraft in situ observations of an expanding reconnection exhaust reveal a broad current layer (similar to 10 ion skin depths thick) supporting the reversal of the reconnecting magnetic field together with an intense current embedded at the center that is due to a super-Alfvenic electron outflow jet with transverse scale of similar to 9 electron skin depths. The electron jet extends at least 60 ion skin depths downstream from the X-line.
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页数:4
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