The driven collisionless magnetic reconnection processes at the dayside magnetopause and in the magnetotail are investigated through 2.5 D particle simulations. During reconnection, magnetic field configurations with both a single X line and multiple X lines are obtained. Magnetic reconnection enhancements, which are indicated by the peaks in the inductive electric field, are observed in the simulations. Coincident with the magnetic reconnection enhancements, bursts of energetic particles, electrons with an energy spectrum of about E exp -3.8 and ions with an energy spectrum of about E exp -4.4, are generated during the reconnection processes. Field-aligned particle heat fluxes are also generated. Intense plasma waves associated with the reconnection processes are observed. It is found that the fluctuating magnetic field has a power spectrum of about f exp -3.8 and the fluctuating electric field has a power spectrum of about f exp -1.8, respectively. A review of the simulation studies of driven collisionless magnetic reconnection and slow shocks in the magnetospheric current sheets is presented.


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    Title :

    Particle simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection in magnetospheric current sheets


    Contributors:
    Ding, D. Q. (author) / Lee, L. C. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1991-01-01



    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English


    Keywords :




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