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Parker Solar Probe's first encounters with the Sun revealed the presence ofubiquitous localised magnetic deflections in the inner heliosphere; thesestructures, often called switchbacks, are particularly striking in solar windstreams originating from coronal holes. We report the direct evidence formagnetic reconnection occuring at the boundaries of three switchbacks crossedby Parker Solar Probe (PSP) at a distance of 45 to 48 solar radii of the Sunduring its first encounter. We analyse the magnetic field and plasma parametersfrom the FIELDS and SWEAP instruments. The three structures analysed all showtypical signatures of magnetic reconnection. The ion velocity and magneticfield are first correlated and then anti-correlated at the inbound and outboundedges of the bifurcated current sheets with a central ion flow jet. Most of thereconnection events have a strong guide field and moderate magnetic shear butone current sheet shows indications of quasi anti-parallel reconnection inconjunction with a magnetic field magnitude decrease by $90\%$. Given thewealth of intense current sheets observed by PSP, reconnection at switchbacksboundaries appears to be rare. However, as the switchback boundaries accomodatecurrents one can conjecture that the geometry of these boundaries offersfavourable conditions for magnetic reconnection to occur. Such a mechanismwould thus contribute in reconfiguring the magnetic field of the switchbacks,affecting the dynamics of the solar wind and eventually contributing to theblending of the structures with the regular wind as they propagate away fromthe Sun.

Direct evidence for magnetic reconnection at the boundaries of magnetic switchbacks with Parker Solar Probe