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Upper‐Hybrid Waves Driven by Meandering Electrons Around Magnetic Reconnection X Line
Author(s) -
Li W.Y.,
Khotyaintsev Yu V.,
Tang B.B.,
Graham D. B.,
Norgren C.,
Vaivads A.,
André M.,
Le A.,
Egedal J.,
Dokgo K.,
Fujimoto K.,
He J.S.,
Burch J. L.,
Lindqvist P.A.,
Ergun R. E.,
Torbert R. B.,
Le Contel O.,
Gershman D. J.,
Giles B. L.,
Lavraud B.,
Fuselier S.,
Plaschke F.,
Russell C. T.,
Guo X.C.,
Lu Q.M.,
Wang C.
Publication year - 2021
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 - 10.1029/2021gl093164
Subject(s) - physics , magnetic reconnection , electron , electric field , amplitude , magnetic field , computational physics , lower hybrid oscillation , current sheet , field line , plasma sheet , plasma , geophysics , magnetosphere , magnetohydrodynamics , electromagnetic electron wave , optics , quantum mechanics
Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in collisionless space plasma environment, and plasma waves relevant to the kinetic interactions can have a significant impact on the multiscale behavior of reconnection. Here, we present Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations during an encounter of an X line of symmetric magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail. The X line is characterized by reversals of ion and electron jets and electromagnetic fields, agyrotropic electron velocity distribution functions (VDFs), and an electron‐scale current sheet. MMS observe large‐amplitude nonlinear upper‐hybrid (UH) waves on both sides of the neutral line, and the wave amplitudes have highly localized distribution along the normal direction. The inbound meandering electrons drive the UH waves, releasing the free energy stored from the reconnection electric field along the meandering trajectories. The interaction between the meandering electrons and the UH waves may modify the balance of the reconnection electric field around the X line.