Premium
Ion‐Beam‐Driven Intense Electrostatic Solitary Waves in Reconnection Jet
Author(s) -
Liu C. M.,
Vaivads A.,
Graham D. B.,
Khotyaintsev Yu V.,
Fu H. S.,
Johlander A.,
André M.,
Giles B. L.
Publication year - 2019
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 - 10.1029/2019gl085419
Subject(s) - physics , jet (fluid) , magnetic reconnection , instability , ion , turbulence , amplitude , computational physics , beam (structure) , atomic physics , plasma , mechanics , optics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
Electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) have been reported inside reconnection jets, but their source and role remain unclear hitherto. Here we present the first observational evidence of ESWs generation by cold ion beams inside the jet, by using high‐cadence measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft in the Earth's magnetotail. Inside the jet, intense ESWs with amplitude up to 30 mV m −1 and potential up to ~7% of the electron temperature are observed in association with accelerated cold ion beams. Instability analysis shows that the ion beams are unstable, providing free energy for the ESWs. The waves are observed to thermalize the beams, thus providing a new channel for ion heating inside the jet. Our study suggests that electrostatic turbulence can play an important role in the jet dynamics.