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Inherently three dimensional magnetic reconnection: A mechanism for bursty bulk flows?
Author(s) -
Shay M. A.,
Drake J. F.,
Swisdak M.,
Dorland W.,
Rogers B. N.
Publication year - 2003
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 - 10.1029/2002gl016267
Subject(s) - substorm , magnetic reconnection , physics , merge (version control) , current sheet , current (fluid) , geophysics , mesoscale meteorology , magnetic field , computational physics , statistical physics , magnetosphere , magnetohydrodynamics , meteorology , quantum mechanics , computer science , information retrieval , thermodynamics
We examine the development of mesoscale structure during 3‐D magnetic reconnection which initiates from random perturbations. Reconnection develops as multiple x‐line segments with characteristic scale lengths of ∼1–4 R e in the cross tail direction. For relatively wide initial current sheets (several c /ω pi ), these finite length x‐lines remain spatially isolated and drive reconnection which is strongly reminiscent of bursty bulk flows (BBFs) in the magnetotail. In narrower initial current layers the x‐line segments merge together to a state in which large scale magnetic energy release takes place. Thus, the degree of compression of the magnetotail may ultimately determine if energy is released in local bursts or globally as a substorm.