Three-dimensional network of filamentary currents and super-thermal electrons during magnetotail magnetic reconnection

Xinmin Li; Rongsheng Wang; Quanming Lu; Christopher T Russell; San Lu; Ian J Cohen; R E Ergun; Shui Wang

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31025-9

Three-dimensional network of filamentary currents and super-thermal electrons during magnetotail magnetic reconnection

Nat Commun. 2022 Jun 10;13(1):3241. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-31025-9.

Authors

Xinmin Li^{1

2

3}, Rongsheng Wang^{4

5

6}, Quanming Lu^{7

8

9}, Christopher T Russell¹⁰, San Lu^{1

2

3}, Ian J Cohen¹¹, R E Ergun¹², Shui Wang^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
² CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, China.
³ Anhui Mengcheng Geophysics National Observation and Research Station, University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng, 233500, Anhui, China.
⁴ CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China. rswan@ustc.edu.cn.
⁵ CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, China. rswan@ustc.edu.cn.
⁶ Anhui Mengcheng Geophysics National Observation and Research Station, University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng, 233500, Anhui, China. rswan@ustc.edu.cn.
⁷ CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China. qmlu@ustc.edu.cn.
⁸ CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, China. qmlu@ustc.edu.cn.
⁹ Anhui Mengcheng Geophysics National Observation and Research Station, University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng, 233500, Anhui, China. qmlu@ustc.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Earth Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
¹¹ The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA.
¹² Department for Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process by which magnetic field lines on two sides of the current sheet flow inward to yield an X-line topology. It is responsible for producing energetic electrons in explosive phenomena in space, astrophysical, and laboratorial plasmas. The X-line region is supposed to be the important place for generating energetic electrons. However, how these energetic electrons are generated in such a limited region is still poorly understood. Here, using Magnetospheric multiscale mission data acquired in Earth's magnetotail, we present direct evidence of super-thermal electrons up to 300 keV inside an X-line region, and the electrons display a power-law spectrum with an index of about 8.0. Concurrently, three-dimensional network of dynamic filamentary currents in electron scale is observed and leads to electromagnetic turbulence therein. The observations indicate that the electrons are effectively accelerated while the X-line region evolves into turbulence with a complex filamentary current network.

Grants and funding

41922030/National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)