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Thin energetic O + layer embedded in the magnetotail reconnection current sheet observed by Cluster
Author(s) -
Wu T.,
Fu S. Y.,
Zong Q. G.,
Sun W. J.,
Cui Y. B.,
Zhao D.,
Guo R. L.,
Zhao S. J.,
Wang Y. F.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl071184
Subject(s) - current sheet , ion , physics , current (fluid) , magnetic reconnection , proton , plasma sheet , cluster (spacecraft) , atomic physics , ionosphere , electric field , layer (electronics) , plasma , materials science , magnetosphere , geophysics , magnetohydrodynamics , nuclear physics , nanotechnology , computer science , thermodynamics , programming language , quantum mechanics
In the classical picture of the magnetotail current sheet, the current carriers are mainly ions that undergo nonadiabatic motions. Oxygen ions could contribute a thicker current sheet than the protons due to their large gyroradii. In this paper, however, we report a thin energetic O + layer embedded in the magnetotail proton current sheet observed by Cluster on 11 October 2001. The thickness of the O + layer is estimated to be smaller than the half thickness of the local current sheet. And the layer is formed by energetic O + with energy larger than 20 keV moving along the + Y direction in GSE coordinates. It is inferred that these energetic O + are probably generated due to the selective acceleration effect of the thin reconnection electric field to the upstreaming ionospheric O + ions with different initial condition.