Asymmetric distribution of reconnection jet fronts in the Jovian nightside magnetosphere
Asymmetric distribution of reconnection jet fronts in the Jovian nightside magnetosphere
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DOI：
10.1029/2012ja018130
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发表时间：
2013-01
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
S. Kasahara;E. Kronberg;T. Kimura;Chengcheng Tao;S. Badman;A. Masters;A. Retinò;N. Krupp;
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
S. Kasahara;E. Kronberg;T. Kimura;Chengcheng Tao;S. Badman;A. Masters;A. Retinò;N. Krupp;
磁场重联在行星磁层的物质输运和能量转换中起着重要作用。据认为，短暂的重联导致局部极光弧或点在木星磁层，类比的情况下，在地球的磁层。然而，瞬时重连事件的局部结构（即，磁层等离子体参数）及其空间分布尚未得到广泛的研究木星磁层。在这里，我们研究等离子体的速度和密度在强南北磁场事件在木星的夜侧磁层，这可能与尾部重联。我们发现突出的重联喷流锋主要在夜侧磁层的黎明侧，这将是旋转主导的行星磁层所特有的特征。观察到的等离子体结构与产生局部极光的显著场向电流一致。
Magnetic reconnection plays important roles in mass transport and energy conversion in planetary magnetospheres. It is considered that transient reconnection causes localized auroral arcs or spots in the Jovian magnetosphere, by analogy to the case in the Earth's magnetosphere. However, the local structures of transient reconnection events (i.e., magnetospheric plasma parameters) and their spatial distribution have not been extensively investigated for the Jovian magnetosphere. Here we examine plasma velocity and density during strong north‐south magnetic field events in the Jovian nightside magnetosphere, which may be associated with tail reconnection. We find prominent reconnection jet fronts predominantly on the dawnside of the nightside magnetosphere, which would be a signature unique to rotation‐dominant planetary magnetospheres. The observed plasma structures are consistent with significant field‐aligned currents which would generate localized aurora.