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Detailed Reference Information
Retinò et al. 2006
Retinò, A., Vaivads, A., André, M., Sahraoui, F., Khotyaintsev, Y., Pickett, J.S., Bavassano Cattaneo, M.B., Marcucci, M.F., Morooka, M., Owen, C.J., Buchert, S.C. and Cornilleau-Wehrlin, N. (2006). Structure of the separatrix region close to a magnetic reconnection X-line: Cluster observations. Geophysical Research Letters 33: doi: 10.1029/2005GL024650. issn: 0094-8276.

We use Cluster spacecraft observations to study in detail the structure of a magnetic reconnection separatrix region on the magnetospheric side of the magnetopause about 50 ion inertial lengths away from the X-line. The separatrix region is the region between the magnetic separatrix and the reconnection jet. It is several ion inertial lengths wide and it contains a few subregions showing different features in particle and wave data. One subregion, a density cavity adjacent to the separatrix, has strong electric fields, electron beams and intense wave turbulence. The separatrix region shows structures even at smaller scales, for example, solitary waves at Debye length scale. We describe in detail electron distribution functions and electric field spectra in the separatrix region and we compare them to a numerical simulation. Our observations show that while reconnection is ongoing the separatrix region is highly structured and dynamic in the electric field even if the X-line is up to 50 ion inertial lengths away.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions, Magnetospheric Physics, Plasma waves and instabilities, Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetopause and boundary layers, Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetic reconnection (7526, 7835)
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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