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Detailed Reference Information
Swisdak et al. 2003
Swisdak, M., Rogers, B.N., Drake, J.F. and Shay, M.A. (2003). Diamagnetic suppression of component magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause. Journal of Geophysical Research 108. doi: 10.1029/2002JA009726. issn: 0148-0227.

We present particle-in-cell simulations of collisionless magnetic reconnection in a system (like the magnetopause) with a large density asymmetry across the current layer. In the presence of an ambient component of the magnetic field perpendicular to the reconnection plane the gradient creates a diamagnetic drift that advects the X-line with the electron diamagnetic velocity. When the relative drift between the ions and electrons is of the order the Alfv¿n speed the large scale outflows from the X-line necessary for fast reconnection cannot develop and the reconnection is suppressed. We discuss how these effects vary with both the plasma ¿ and the shear angle of the reconnecting field and discuss observational evidence for diamagnetic stabilization at the magnetopause.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Space Plasma Physics, Magnetic reconnection, Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetopause, cusp, and boundary layers, Space Plasma Physics, Numerical simulation studies, Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics, Space Plasma Physics, Kinetic and MHD theory
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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