Reconnection diffusion region in a shock ramp

POSTER

Abstract

We present a new possibility based on observations of a reconnecting current sheet that occurs within the ramp of a bow shock at Earth. Observed reconnection signatures include electron jet reversals, intense electron heating, inward and outward convecting magnetic fluxes, and features of electron distribution functions consistent with those in a fully developed electron diffusion region at the terrestrial magnetopause. The observations suggest that reconnection can contribute substantially to electron heating at collisionless shocks in planetary and astrophysical systems, and potentially has large-scale impact on the shock structure and function.

*NASA MMS mission

Presenters

  • Li-Jen Chen

    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    • NASA/GSFC

Authors

  • Li-Jen Chen

    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    • NASA/GSFC

  • Jason R Shuster

    • UNH
    • University of New Hampshire

  • Richard Denton

    • Dartmouth College

  • Yi Qi

    • LASP

  • Hadi Madanian

    • Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

  • Jonathan Ng

    • University of Maryland

  • Ari Le

    • LANL

  • Adam J Stanier

    • Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Naoki Bessho

    • University of Maryland, College Park; NASA GSFC

  • Craig J Pollock

    • UAF

  • Daniel Gershman

    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    • NASA/GSFC

  • James L Burch

    • Southwest Research Institute