The Effects of Upper-Hybrid Waves on Energy Conversion in the Electron Diffusion Region
Abstract
Recently, the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) found that the agyrotropic electrons in the electron diffusion region (EDR) can generation upper-hybrid waves (UHW). It is believed that UHW play a significant role by heating electrons via the wave-particle interaction. Using a 2-dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulation (PIC), we investigate the effects and roles of UHW on the energy conversion process near the EDR.
We found that there are two effects of UHW. The first one is the local energy conversion and electron heating via the wave-particle interaction. The local energy conversion rate J·E measured by MMS in the July 3rd, 2017 event agrees with the heating rate in the PIC simulation. The other is that the UHW can change the large-scale energy conversion Jy·Ey in the EDR. The simulation result shows that the plasma quantities, such as pressure tensor, current, and the reconnection electric field, are changed as a result of UHW activities. The current Jy decreases, and the pressure tensor Pyz increases/ decreases when the beam density is lower/ higher than 13% of total density. When the beam density is 30% of the total density, Jy decreases by at most 5% from the initial value, and Pyz decreases by 26%. Considering the gradient of the pressure tensor generates the reconnection electric field, which is a dominant term in the EDR, our results mean that UHW can change the global profile of energy conversion Jy·Ey in the EDR.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AGUFMSM008..03D
- Keywords:
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- 2723 Magnetic reconnection;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS;
- 7526 Magnetic reconnection;
- SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY;
- 7835 Magnetic reconnection;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS