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Shear Alfvén Waves Driven by Magnetic Reconnection as an Energy Source for the Aurora Borealis
Author(s) -
Gurram H.,
Egedal J.,
Daughton W.
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 - 10.1029/2021gl094201
Subject(s) - physics , magnetic reconnection , kinetic energy , shear (geology) , magnetic field , computational physics , geophysics , mechanics , astrophysics , classical mechanics , geology , petrology , quantum mechanics
Previous studies have concluded that the Hall magnetic field structures generated during magnetic reconnection are carried away by kinetic Alfvén waves. Here, we apply a kinetic simulation with an ion/electron mass ratio closer to its natural value and find that open boundary conditions and much reduced damping rates permit the shear Alfvén waves (SAWs) to become the main carrier of wave energy. For magnetotail reconnection, these SAWs provide efficient transport of wave energy, enhancing the energy input for the Aurora Borealis by orders of magnitude above previous estimates.