Electron Crescent Distributions as a Manifestation of Diamagnetic Drift in an Electron-Scale Current Sheet: Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations Using New 7.5ms Fast Plasma Investigation Moments.

A C Rager,J R Shuster,C T Russell,J C Dorelli,J Egedal,B L Giles,R J Strangeway,V Uritsky,D J Gershman,J L Burch,V N Coffey,B Lavraud,Y Saito,L A Avanov,R E Ergun,W R Paterson,R B Torbert,C Schiff,C J Pollock

doi:10.1002/2017gl076260

Electron Crescent Distributions as a Manifestation of Diamagnetic Drift in an Electron-Scale Current Sheet: Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations Using New 7.5ms Fast Plasma Investigation Moments.

A C Rager, J R Shuster + Show 17 more

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https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl076260

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Journal: Geophysical research letters	Publication Date: Jan 28, 2018
Citations: 50	License type: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Affiliation: Goddard Space Flight Center, Catholic University of America, University of Maryland, College Park, Planetary Science Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Southwest Research Institute, Marshall Space Flight Center, Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, University of Colorado Boulder, University of New Hampshire

#Magnetic Reconnection Diffusion Region #Fast Plasma Investigation + Show 8 more

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Abstract

We report Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of electron pressure gradient electric fields near a magnetic reconnection diffusion region using a new technique for extracting 7.5 ms electron moments from the Fast Plasma Investigation. We find that the deviation of the perpendicular electron bulk velocity from E × B drift in the interval where the out‐of‐plane current density is increasing can be explained by the diamagnetic drift. In the interval where the out‐of‐plane current is transitioning to in‐plane current, the electron momentum equation is not satisfied at 7.5 ms resolution.

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