Formation and Kinetic Structure of Discontinuities at the Earth's Magnetopause and at the Magnetotail

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Based on the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Rankine-Hugoniot relations, plasmas can have six types of shocks: fast, slow, and four types of intermediate. Given the significant role slow shocks play in the large scale structure of the magnetotail, the investigators will examine their kinetic properties using a combination of two-dimensional hybrid and two-dimensional full particle simulations. Hybrid simulations will be used to address the structure of the newly discovered anomalous slow shocks, and examine the type of slow shocks possible in the fast Petscheck reconnection configuration. The full particle simulations will explain some puzzling aspects of electron distributions observed in the magnetotail. Next, the PI will examine the dynamic formation of multiple boundaries and their interactions, similar to reconnection events at both the Earth's magnetotail and magnetopause. By integrating these approaches and using observations as a guide, the PI will enhance general understanding of discontinuities in general, and their role in the magnetopause/magnetotail.