Electron Behavior Around the Onset of Magnetic Reconnection
Spinnangr, Susanne Flø; Hesse, Michael; Tenfjord, Paul Arne Riksheim; Norgren, Cecilia; Kolstø, Håkon Midthun; Kwagala, Norah Kaggwa; Jørgensen, Therese; Phan, Tai D.
Journal article, Peer reviewed
Published version
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https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3065083Utgivelsesdato
2022Metadata
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- Department of Physics and Technology [2156]
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Sammendrag
We investigate the onset of magnetic reconnection, utilizing a fully kinetic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulation. Characteristic features of the electron phase-space distributions immediately before reconnection onset are identified. These include signatures of pressure non-gyrotropy in the velocity distributions, and lemon shaped distributions in the in-plane velocity directions. Further, we explain how these features form through particle energization by the out-of-plane electric field. Identification of these features in the distributions can aid in analysis of data where clear signatures of ongoing reconnection are not yet present.