Magnetic Reconnection in Plasmas

Session

Post-noon III

33

12 Aug 2015, 14:00

132:028 (Nordita, Stockholm)

Conveners

Post-noon III

• Daniel Graham (IRF - Uppsala)

330. The electron diffusion region in asymmetric and symmetric magnetic reconnection

Dr Li-Jen Chen (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

12/08/2015, 14:00

Workshop, August 10-14

Invited

The electron diffusion region (EDR) holds the ultimate mystery of how magnetic reconnection can occur in a collisionless plasma, and is the target region of the first science priority for the newly launched Magnetospheric Multi-scale (MMS) mission. Processes of elctron acceleration, mixing and heating in the EDR can be understood by analyzing the electron distribution functions with...

390. Electron acceleration in the separatrix region during magnetic reconnection

Dr Rongsheng Wang (Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

12/08/2015, 14:25

Workshop, August 10-14

Oral

One long outstanding issue in the study of magnetic reconnection is exactly where and how electrons are energized, although the observations have demonstrated that a substantial part of magnetic energy is converted into energetic electrons in reconnection. Here, we present the first evidence of electron acceleration by parallel electric field (up to -20 mV/m) carried by the...

359. Evidence of magnetic field switch-off in PIC simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection with guide field

Dr Maria Elena Innocenti (University of Leuven, Belgium)

12/08/2015, 14:50

Workshop, August 10-14

Oral

We describe here the first observation of switch-off of the in plane tangential component of the magnetic field in Particle In Cell (PIC) simulations of magnetic reconnection, a situation reminding of Petschek’s switch-off. Switch-off is obtained through a slow shock / rotational discontinuity compound structure. Two external slow shocks located in correspondence of the...