EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Pritchett 2006
Pritchett, P.L. (2006). Relativistic electron production during driven magnetic reconnection. Geophysical Research Letters 33: doi: 10.1029/2005GL025267. issn: 0094-8276.

Two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are used to determine the mechanism for producing relativistic electrons during externally driven magnetic reconnection in a plasma sheet configuration that models the near-Earth growth phase magnetotail. The dominant process is found to be of the inverse Landau-damping type in which those electrons with velocity component vx ≈ 0 at the X line are accelerated across the tail by the inductive reconnection electric field Ey. This process produces a power-law energy spectrum for the electrons with a slope of ~5--6, in agreement with recent observations.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetic reconnection (7526, 7835), Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics, Space Plasma Physics, Particle acceleration
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit