3D Global Hybrid Simulation of Flux Transfer Events at the Dayside Magnetopause

Magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause is simulated using a 3-D global hybrid code, in which ions are treated as fully-kinetic particles, while electrons are treated a massless fluid. The simulation domain contains mainly the dayside plasma regions from r=4-25\ RE, and the simulation is performed for cases with a southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Both quasi-steady reconnection structure and flux transfer events (FTEs) are obtained. (1) The magnetic field and corresponding plasma structures of FTEs at various latitudes and longitudes are analyzed. In FTEs, the twisted magnetic flux tubes extend a finite length in the east-west direction, with magnetosheath ions trapped in the tube. The spatial profiles of FTEs on either the magnetosheath or the magnetospheric edge of the reconnected flux tubes resemble those observed by satellites. (2) The growth, evolution, and propagation of the FTEs and their resulting waves in the magnetosphere are investigated. (3) D-shaped as well as multi-beam distributions of the transmitted magnetosheath ions are obtained in the magnetopause. The ion particle distribution and ion transport in the magnetopause reconnection are studied. (4) The magnetic field structure in the magnetopause FTEs is compared with that in 2-D reconnection.