Intense Energy Conversion Events at the Magnetopause Boundary Layer

Abstract

AbstractThis paper investigates intense energy conversion events (IECEs) at the dayside magnetopause boundary layer (MBL) using high‐resolution data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft. Most events were detected by MMS in a duration less than 0.5 s, corresponding to a thickness below one ion inertia length. About three‐quarters of the events occurred in local reconnecting current sheets. Interestingly, there are more electron‐only reconnections than standard reconnections. Most of the reconnection IECEs are within the exhaust of the primary reconnection and the Kelvin‐Helmholtz vortices, suggesting that secondary reconnections are important building blocks for the overall energy conversion at the magnetopause. The nonreconnection events are also primarily within the reconnection exhaust and the Kelvin‐Helmholtz vortices, highlighting the importance of reconnection and Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability in regulating the energy conversion at the MBL.