On the location of the stationary reconnection region in the Earth's magnetotail.
Abstract
A mechanism leading to permanent reconnection in the extremely collisionless plasma of the far magnetotail is proposed. The mechanism is based on the finding that under certain circumstances an overlapping of nonlinear resonances appears between the Larmor rotation of the thermal electrons and the bounce oscillation frequency. This leads to a breakdown of the adiabatic conservation of the magnetic moment over time intervals short enough for an effective equalization of the perturbation of the electron distribution. Some observational tests of this mechanism are suggested.
- Publication:
-
Gerlands Beitraege zur Geophysik
- Pub Date:
- 1987
- Bibcode:
- 1987GBzG...96..179B
- Keywords:
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- Geomagnetic Tail;
- Magnetic Field Reconnection;
- Magnetohydrodynamic Flow;
- Solar Wind;
- Space Plasmas;
- Electron Energy;
- International Sun Earth Explorers;
- Earth Magnetosphere:Geomagnetic Tail;
- Geomagnetic Tail:Earth Magnetosphere