@article{Carr:2015:1/43,
author = {Carr, CM and Erikksson, S and Lapenta, G and Newman, DL and Phan, TD and Gosling, JT and Lavraud, B and Khotyaintsev, YV and Markidis, S and Goldman, MV},
doi = {1/43},
journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
title = {On Multiple Reconnection X-lines and Tripolar Perturbations of Strong Guide Magnetic Fields},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/805/1/43},
volume = {805},
year = {2015}
}

Download

TY  - JOUR
AB  - We report new multi-spacecraft Cluster observations of tripolar guide magnetic field perturbations at a solar windreconnection exhaust in the presence of a guide field BM which is almost four times as strong as the reversing fieldBL. The novel tripolar field consists of two narrow regions of depressed BM, with an observed 7%–14% ΔBMmagnitude relative to the external field, which are found adjacent to a wide region of enhanced BM within theexhaust. A stronger reversing field is associated with each BM depression. A kinetic reconnection simulation forrealistic solar wind conditions and the observed strong guide field reveals that tripolar magnetic fields preferentiallyform across current sheets in the presence of multiple X-lines as magnetic islands approach one another and mergeinto fewer and larger islands. The simulated ΔBM/ΔXN over the normal width ΔXN between a BM minimum andthe edge of the external region agree with the normalized values observed by Cluster. We propose that a tripolarguide field perturbation may be used to identify candidate regions containing multiple X-lines and interactingmagnetic islands at individual solar wind current sheets with a strong guide field.
AU  - Carr,CM
AU  - Erikksson,S
AU  - Lapenta,G
AU  - Newman,DL
AU  - Phan,TD
AU  - Gosling,JT
AU  - Lavraud,B
AU  - Khotyaintsev,YV
AU  - Markidis,S
AU  - Goldman,MV
DO  - 1/43
PY  - 2015///
SN  - 0004-637X
TI  - On Multiple Reconnection X-lines and Tripolar Perturbations of Strong Guide Magnetic Fields
T2  - The Astrophysical Journal
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/805/1/43
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/23240
VL  - 805
ER  - 

Download