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Article Dans Une Revue Geophysical Research Letters Année : 2019

Electron Distribution Functions Around a Reconnection X-Line Resolved by the FOTE Method

Résumé

Using data from the MMS mission and the First-Order Taylor Expansion(FOTE) method, here we reveal electron distribution functions around areconnection X-line at the Earth's magnetopause. We find cigardistribution of electrons in both the magnetosphere-side andmagnetosheath-side inflow regions, isotropic distribution of electronsat the separatrix, and loss of high-energy electrons in the antiparalleldirection in the magnetosheath-side inflow region. We interpret theformation of cigar distribution in the inflow regions using the Fermimechanism?as suggested in previous simulations, the loss of high-energyelectrons in the magnetosheath side using the parallel electricfields?which evacuate electrons to escape the diffusion region along theantiparallel direction, and the isotropic distribution at the separatrixusing the pitch angle scattering by whistler waves?which existfrequently at the separatrix. We also find that the electrondistribution functions can change rapidly (within 60 ms) from isotropicto cigar as the spacecraft moves slightly away from the separatrix.
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Dates et versions

hal-03797047 , version 1 (04-10-2022)

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Z. Wang, H. S. Fu, C. M. Liu, Y. Y. Liu, G. Cozzani, et al.. Electron Distribution Functions Around a Reconnection X-Line Resolved by the FOTE Method. Geophysical Research Letters, 2019, 46, pp.1195. ⟨10.1029/2018GL081708⟩. ⟨hal-03797047⟩
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