2021/12/08 by A. J. Rogers, C. J. Farrugia, Rogers, A. J. +5
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Asymmetry #Computational physics #Current (fluid) #Current sheet #Curvature #FOS: Physical sciences #Geometry #Gyroradius #Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics #Magnetic confinement fusion research #Magnetic reconnection #Magnetohydrodynamics #Magnetosphere #Midnight #Nuclear physics #Physics #Plasma #Plasma sheet #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Space Physics (physics.space-ph) #physics.space-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2112.04646
published in arXiv (Cornell University) (Cornell University) · 12p, 4 figures, Submitted to GRL
openalex publication_date 2021/12/08 · arxiv created 2021/12/09 · arxiv updated 2021/12/10 · openalex created_date 2022/11/14 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Magnetic reconnection X-lines have been observed to be more common duskward\nof midnight. Thin current sheets have also been postulated to be a necessary\nprecondition for reconnection onset. We take advantage of the MMS tetrahedral\nformation during the 2017--2020 MMS tail seasons to calculate the thickness of\nthe cross-tail neutral sheet relative to ion gyroradius. While a similar\ntechnique was applied to Cluster data, current sheet thickness over a broader\nrange of radial distances has not been robustly explored before this study. We\ncompare this to recent theories regarding mechanisms of tail current sheet\nthinning and to recent simulations. We find MMS spent more than twice as long\nin ion-scale thin current sheets in the pre-midnight sector than post-midnight,\ndespite nearly even plasma sheet dwell time. The dawn-dusk asymmetry in the\ndistribution of Ion Diffusion Regions, as previously reported in relation to\nregions of thin current sheets, is also analyzed.\n