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Whistler Wave Generation by Anisotropic Tail Electrons During Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection in Space and Laboratory
Author(s) -
Yoo Jongsoo,
JaraAlmonte J.,
Yerger Evan,
Wang Shan,
Qian Tony,
Le Ari,
Ji Hantao,
Yamada Masaaki,
Fox William,
Kim EunHwa,
Chen LiJen,
Gershman Daniel J.
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1029/2018gl079278
Subject(s) - whistler , physics , magnetopause , magnetic reconnection , instability , electron , computational physics , dispersion relation , geophysics , magnetosphere , lower hybrid oscillation , space physics , astrophysical plasma , anisotropy , magnetic field , condensed matter physics , mechanics , optics , electromagnetic electron wave , quantum mechanics
Abstract Whistler wave generation near the magnetospheric separatrix during reconnection at the dayside magnetopause is studied with data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. The dispersion relation of the whistler mode is measured for the first time near the reconnection region in space, which shows that whistler waves propagate nearly parallel to the magnetic field line. A linear analysis indicates that the whistler waves are generated by temperature anisotropy in the electron tail population. This is caused by loss of electrons with a high velocity parallel to the magnetic field to the exhaust region. There is a positive correlation between activities of whistler waves and the lower hybrid drift instability both in laboratory and space, indicating the enhanced transport by lower hybrid drift instability may be responsible for the loss of electrons with a high parallel velocity.