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Characteristics of electron holes generated in the separatrix region during antiparallel magnetic reconnection
Author(s) -
Huang Can,
Lu Quanming,
Wang Peiran,
Wu Mingyu,
Wang Shui
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2014ja019991
Subject(s) - electron , antiparallel (mathematics) , physics , magnetic reconnection , electric field , magnetic field , atomic physics , field line , line (geometry) , condensed matter physics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
In this paper, two‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell simulations are performed to investigate the characteristics of these electron holes generated in the separatrix region of antiparallel magnetic reconnection. The electron holes with bipolar structures of the parallel electric field are formed in the border between the electron inflow channel (where electrons move toward the X line) and outflow channel (where electrons flow away from the X line), where the electrons satisfy the bump‐on‐tail distribution. Quasi‐monochromatic electrostatic waves, which propagate with a speed near the bulk velocity of the fast electron beam, are first excited by the electron bump‐on‐tail instability. These waves then coalesce with each other, and at last electron holes are formed in the separatrix region which then propagate away from the X line along the magnetic field lines.