Electron-scale energy transfer due to lower hybrid waves during asymmetric reconnection

Fuente: arXiv
Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Tigik, Sabrina F., Graham, Daniel B., Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
_version_ 1866912306196119552
author Tigik, Sabrina F.
Graham, Daniel B.
Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.
author_facet Tigik, Sabrina F.
Graham, Daniel B.
Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.
contents We use Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission data to investigate electron-scale energy transfer due to lower hybrid drift waves during magnetopause reconnection. We analyze waves observed in an electron-scale plasma mixing layer at the edge of the magnetospheric outflow. Using high-resolution 7.5 ms electron moments, we obtain an electron current density with a Nyquist frequency of ~66 Hz, sufficient to resolve most of the lower hybrid drift wave power observed in the event. We then employ wavelet analysis to evaluate dJ.dE, which accounts for the phase differences between the fluctuating quantities. The analysis shows that the energy exchange is localized within the plasma mixing layer, and it is highly fluctuating, with energy bouncing between waves and electrons throughout the analyzed time and frequency range. However, the cumulative sum over time indicates a net energy transfer from the waves to electrons. We observe an anomalous electron flow toward the magnetosphere, consistent with diffusion and electron mixing. These results indicate that waves and electrons interact dynamically to dissipate the excess internal energy accumulated by sharp density gradients. We conclude that the electron temperature profile within the plasma mixing layer is produced by a combination of electron diffusion across the layer, as well as heating by large-scale parallel potential and lower hybrid drift waves.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_02192
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Electron-scale energy transfer due to lower hybrid waves during asymmetric reconnection
Tigik, Sabrina F.
Graham, Daniel B.
Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.
Space Physics
Plasma Physics
We use Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission data to investigate electron-scale energy transfer due to lower hybrid drift waves during magnetopause reconnection. We analyze waves observed in an electron-scale plasma mixing layer at the edge of the magnetospheric outflow. Using high-resolution 7.5 ms electron moments, we obtain an electron current density with a Nyquist frequency of ~66 Hz, sufficient to resolve most of the lower hybrid drift wave power observed in the event. We then employ wavelet analysis to evaluate dJ.dE, which accounts for the phase differences between the fluctuating quantities. The analysis shows that the energy exchange is localized within the plasma mixing layer, and it is highly fluctuating, with energy bouncing between waves and electrons throughout the analyzed time and frequency range. However, the cumulative sum over time indicates a net energy transfer from the waves to electrons. We observe an anomalous electron flow toward the magnetosphere, consistent with diffusion and electron mixing. These results indicate that waves and electrons interact dynamically to dissipate the excess internal energy accumulated by sharp density gradients. We conclude that the electron temperature profile within the plasma mixing layer is produced by a combination of electron diffusion across the layer, as well as heating by large-scale parallel potential and lower hybrid drift waves.
title Electron-scale energy transfer due to lower hybrid waves during asymmetric reconnection
topic Space Physics
Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.02192