Fourth annual CHARM meeting

Energetics of the electrons during rapid island coalescence in asymmetric conditions

5 Jun 2015, 11:25

25m

RMI meeting room (IASB-BIRA (RMI Royal Meteorologic Institute meeting room))

Talk Session 4

Speaker

Mr Emanuele Cazzola (KULeuven)

Description

Results from fully kinetic simulations of magnetic reconnection with asymmetric profiles of the magnetic field and density across the current sheet are presented. Two different initial layers are simulated. The first layer represents the continuous hyperbolic profiles observed at the dayside of the magnetopause. The second layer instead represents the same asymmetries under the presence of a tangential discontinuity. These simulations were performed with the aim of giving further support to the recently launched Nasa mission MMS (Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission), initially devoted to study this region of the magnetosphere. We particularly focus on the energetics of the electrons acquired in the second layer after the formation and coalescence of the magnetic islands originated from multiple reconnection points. Important results are observed within the magnetic islands and in the reconnection regions. Thanks to the direct comparison with the situation at the first layer, we are able to identify three different processes occurring during the rapid island merging. The first type shows the typical evolution of asymmetric reconnection, with the predominant swelling towards the lower magnetic field side and a peculiar anisotropic particles inflows. The second type recalls the first one with no signature of ongoing reconnection. Finally, the third type deals with the reconnection events occurring between the internal magnetic islands of two merging plasmoids.