Speaker
Ms
Cecilia Norgren
(Swedish Institute of Space Physics)
Description
Lower hybrid waves in magnetic reconnection regions
Lower hybrid waves are strong plasma waves that are often excited
within thin boundaries that form
in the vicinity of magnetic reconnection regions. These waves can be
excited by sharp gradients in
the density that can form along the separatrices or at the front of
reconnection jets. The wave
length scale is on the order of the electron gyroradius, which makes it
hard to study them in detail.
In this study, we present a new single spacecraft method that
correlates the wave electric and
magnetic fields to decide the velocity of the waves in the plane
perpendicular to the background
magnetic field. From the velocity, the length scale and electrostatic
potential can be inferred. We
apply this method to magnetic reconnection events in different regions
of the magnetosphere. We
investigate if the waves can have impact on the magnetic reconnection
process or serve as a
diagnostic tool, providing additional knowledge about the magnetic
reconnection region.
Primary author
Ms
Cecilia Norgren
(Swedish Institute of Space Physics)
Co-authors
Dr
Andris Vaivads
(Swedish Institute of Space Physics)
Prof.
Mats André
(Swedish Institute of Space Physics)
Dr
Yuri Khotyaintsev
(Swedish Institute of Space Physics)
