Open AccessEvidence for interplanetary magnetic field B y controlled large‐scale reconnection at the dayside magnetopause
Author(s) -
Marcucci M. F.,
Bavassano Cattaneo M. B.,
Di Lellis A. M.,
Cerulli Irelli P.,
Kistler L. M.,
Phan T.D.,
Haerendel G.,
Klecker B.,
Paschmann G.,
Baumjohann W.,
Möbius E.,
Popecki M. A.,
Sauvaud J. A.,
Rème H.,
Korth A.,
Eliasson L.,
Carlson C. W.,
McCarthy M.,
Parks G. K.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2000ja000144
Subject(s) - magnetopause , physics , magnetic reconnection , interplanetary magnetic field , geophysics , equator , solar wind , plasma , flux (metallurgy) , interplanetary spaceflight , astrophysics , magnetosphere , astronomy , latitude , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
We report evidence of a long‐lasting reconnection event during which the accelerated plasma flow direction changes in response to an interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B y reversal, indicating a change in the reconnection site location. The observations were made by Equator‐S on the dawn flank of the magnetopause and consist of a large number of plasma jets detected mostly within magnetospheric flux transfer events. The plasma jets were found in quantitative agreement with the theoretical predictions for reconnection. The reversal of the plasma flow direction in the jets following the reversal of the B y component not only confirms that the dayside reconnection configuration is controlled by the IMF, as opposed to local control, but also stresses the importance of the IMF dawn‐dusk component, in addition to the north–south component, in determining the global configuration of the reconnection.