Magnetic flux transport identification of magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetosphere: current sheets and entangled flux ropes

Magnetic reconnection plays an important role in converting energy while modifying the field topology. This process occurs under various plasma conditions during which the transport of magnetic flux is intrinsic. Identifying active magnetic reconnection sites in in-situ observations is challenging. A new technique, Magnetic Flux Transport (MFT) analysis, has been developed recently and proven in numerical simulation for identifying active reconnection efficiently and accurately. We apply the MFT analysis to MMS in-situ observations first. We examine the MFT process in previously reported EDR/reconnection-line crossing events at the dayside magnetopause, in the magnetotail and magnetosheath. The co-existing inward and outward MFT flow at the X-point provides a signature that magnetic field lines become disconnected and reconnected. The application of MFT analysis to in-situ observations demonstrates that MFT can successfully identify active reconnection sites under symmetric, asymmetric, and turbulent upstream conditions, providing a higher rate of successful identification than relying on plasma outflow jets alone. Results from a new application of MFT on the interface current sheet of entangled flux ropes will be discussed.