Abstract
A study of the role microinstabilities at the reconnection separatrix can play in heating the electrons during the transition from inflow to outflow is being presented. We find that very strong flow shears at the separatrix layer lead to counterstreaming electron distributions in the region around the separatrix, which become unstable to a beam-type instability. Similar to what has been seen in earlier research, the ensuing instability leads to the formation of propagating electrostatic solitons. We show here that this region of strong electrostatic turbulence is the predominant electron heating site when transiting from inflow to outflow. The heating is the result of heating generated by electrostatic turbulence driven by overlapping beams, and its macroscopic effect is a quasi-viscous contribution to the overall electron energy balance. We suggest that instabilities at the separatrix can play a key role in the overall electron energy balance in magnetic reconnection.
Highlights
Magnetic reconnection is arguably the most important transport and energy conversion process in collisionless plasmas.1,2 It enables the transport over large distances by means of a highly localized diffusion region, where, within different layers, ions and electrons become decoupled from the magnetic field
We show here that this region of strong electrostatic turbulence is the predominant electron heating site when transiting from inflow to outflow
The heating is the result of heating generated by electrostatic turbulence driven by overlapping beams, and its macroscopic effect is a quasi-viscous contribution to the overall electron energy balance
Summary
Magnetic reconnection is arguably the most important transport and energy conversion process in collisionless plasmas. It enables the transport over large distances by means of a highly localized diffusion region, where, within different layers, ions and electrons become decoupled from the magnetic field. Magnetic reconnection is arguably the most important transport and energy conversion process in collisionless plasmas.1,2 It enables the transport over large distances by means of a highly localized diffusion region, where, within different layers, ions and electrons become decoupled from the magnetic field. The energy conversion process provides for the pressure balance in the current layer by increasing plasma temperature and pressure to the level required to balance the magnetic pressure in the inflow region.. We describe one such candidate process, and analyze, within a numerical model, its role in increasing the electron pressure We show that this effect occurs naturally in the region surrounding the separatrix and that it. The simulation employs a ratio of electron plasma to electron cyclotron frequency of xpe/Xe1⁄42, and the ratio between the speed of light and the Alfven speed is c/vA1⁄420
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