IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-31025-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Three-dimensional network of filamentary currents and super-thermal electrons during magnetotail magnetic reconnection

Author

Listed:
  • Xinmin Li

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology
    University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng)

  • Rongsheng Wang

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology
    University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng)

  • Quanming Lu

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology
    University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng)

  • Christopher T. Russell

    (University of California)

  • San Lu

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology
    University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng)

  • Ian J. Cohen

    (The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory)

  • R. E. Ergun

    (University of Colorado)

  • Shui Wang

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology
    University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng)

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process by which magnetic field lines on two sides of the current sheet flow inward to yield an X-line topology. It is responsible for producing energetic electrons in explosive phenomena in space, astrophysical, and laboratorial plasmas. The X-line region is supposed to be the important place for generating energetic electrons. However, how these energetic electrons are generated in such a limited region is still poorly understood. Here, using Magnetospheric multiscale mission data acquired in Earth’s magnetotail, we present direct evidence of super-thermal electrons up to 300 keV inside an X-line region, and the electrons display a power-law spectrum with an index of about 8.0. Concurrently, three-dimensional network of dynamic filamentary currents in electron scale is observed and leads to electromagnetic turbulence therein. The observations indicate that the electrons are effectively accelerated while the X-line region evolves into turbulence with a complex filamentary current network.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinmin Li & Rongsheng Wang & Quanming Lu & Christopher T. Russell & San Lu & Ian J. Cohen & R. E. Ergun & Shui Wang, 2022. "Three-dimensional network of filamentary currents and super-thermal electrons during magnetotail magnetic reconnection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31025-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31025-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31025-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-31025-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shimou Wang & Rongsheng Wang & Quanming Lu & Huishan Fu & Shui Wang, 2020. "Direct evidence of secondary reconnection inside filamentary currents of magnetic flux ropes during magnetic reconnection," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.

      More about this item

      Statistics

      Access and download statistics

      Corrections

      All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-31025-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

      If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

      If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

      If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

      For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

      Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

      IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.