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Kinetic Alfven waves in three-dimensional magnetic reconnection


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dc.contributorYu Lin, linyu01@auburn.eduen_US
dc.creatorLiang, Ji
dc.creatorLin, Yu
dc.creatorJohnson, Jay R.
dc.creatorWang, Xueyi
dc.creatorWang, Zheng-Xiong
dc.date.accessioned2020-06-03T13:29:24Z
dc.date.available2020-06-03T13:29:24Z
dc.date.created2016-07
dc.identifier10.1002/2016JA022505en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2016JA022505en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11200/49843
dc.description.abstractAlfvenic waves are believed to be fundamentally important in magnetic reconnection. Kinetic dynamics of particles can break the Alfven speed limit in the evolution and propagation of perturbations during reconnection. In this paper, the generation and signatures of kinetic Alfven waves (KAWs) associated with magnetic reconnection in a current sheet is investigated using a three-dimensional (3-D) hybrid code under a zero or finite guide field. In order to understand the wave structures in the general cases of multiple X line reconnection, cases with a single X line of various lengths are examined. The KAWs are identified using the wave dispersion relation, electromagnetic polarization relations, as well as spectral analysis. In the cases in which the X line is so long to extend through the entire simulation domain in the current direction, quasi 2-D configurations of reconnection are developed behind a leading flux/plasma bulge. KAWs with perpendicular wave number k(i)approximate to 1 (with (i) being the ion Larmor radius) are found throughout the transient plasma bulge region and propagate outward along magnetic field lines with a slightly super-Alfvenic velocity. These KAWs are generated from the X line and coexist with the whistler structure of the ion diffusion region under a small guide field. In the cases in which the X line has a finite length 2 approximate to 10d(i), with being the half length of the X line and d(i) the ion inertial length, the KAWs originated from the X line are of 3-D nature. Under a finite guide field, KAWs propagate along the oblique magnetic field lines into the unperturbed regions in the current direction, carrying parallel electric field and Poynting fluxes. The critical X line length for the generation of 3-D-like structures is found to be 2(c)30d(i). The structure, propagation, energy, spectrum, and damping of the KAWs are examined. Dependence of the structure of KAWs on the guide field is also investigated.en_US
dc.formatPDFen_US
dc.publisherAMER GEOPHYSICAL UNIONen_US
dc.relation.ispartofJOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICSen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries2169-9380en_US
dc.subjectmagnetic reconnection; Alfven waves; kinetic Alfven waves; hybrid simulation; magnetotail; guide fielden_US
dc.subject2-DIMENSIONAL HYBRID SIMULATION; FIELD-ALIGNED CURRENTS; SHEET BOUNDARY-LAYER; MAGNETOTAIL RECONNECTION; DAYSIDE MAGNETOPAUSE; PATCHY RECONNECTION; PLASMA; GENERATION; TAIL; MECHANISMen_US
dc.titleKinetic Alfven waves in three-dimensional magnetic reconnectionen_US
dc.typeTexten_US
dc.type.genreJournal Article, Academic Journalen_US
dc.citation.volume121en_US
dc.citation.issue7en_US
dc.citation.spage6526en_US
dc.citation.epage6548en_US
dc.description.statusPublisheden_US
dc.creator.orcid0000-0001-8003-9252en_US
dc.creator.orcid0000-0001-5533-5981en_US

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