Ion Diffusion Region Research Articles

Finite dimension of the ion pathway networks in conducting glasses

In disordered materials, the ordinary understanding is that charge carriers tend to occupy energetically favorable sites known as ion-conducting channels. Many studies have revealed that the inherent fractal properties of such pathways lead to a sub-diffusive behavior. The linearity or branching of these pathways is crucial for determining how the charge carriers move. It can be thought that as the space dimensionality decreases, the average distance between the highest energy barriers along the conduction paths increases. In this study the finite dimension of those pathways is computed using an extended version of the classical Hausdorff dimension. Also, the Arrhenius behavior of the most mobile lithium ions is proved, confirming that such are responsible for conductivity behavior. The lithium ions mobility behavior in response to temperature changes and the finite dimension allowed to identify the ion diffusion regions fractal features. The reported results demonstrate that as the temperature increases the conducting channels become broadener, facilitating the transfer of electrical charge through the glassy matrix, below the transition temperature. The pathways behavior confirms the increase of the ionic conductivity when the temperature increases as it is experimentally observed.

Conversion of Magnetic Energy to Plasma Kinetic Energy During Guide Field Magnetic Reconnection in the Laboratory.

We present laboratory measurements showing the two-dimensional (2D) structure of energy conversion during magnetic reconnection with a guide field over the electron and ion diffusion regions, resolving the separate energy deposition on electrons and ions. We find that the electrons are energized by the parallel electric field at two locations, at the X line and around the separatrices. On the other hand, the ions are energized ballistically by the perpendicular electric field in the vicinity of the high-density separatrices. An energy balance calculation by evaluating the terms of the Poynting theorem shows that 40% of the magnetic energy is converted to particle energy, 2/3 of which is transferred to ions and 1/3 to electrons. Further analysis suggests that the energy deposited on particles manifests mostly in the form of thermal kinetic energy in the diffusion regions.

Differentiating EDRs From the Background Magnetopause Current Sheet: A Statistical Study

AbstractThe solar wind is a continuous outflow of charged particles from the Sun's atmosphere into the solar system. At Earth, the solar wind's outward pressure is balanced by the Earth's magnetic field in a boundary layer known as the magnetopause. Plasma density and temperature differences across the boundary layer generate the Chapman‐Ferraro current which supports the magnetopause. Along the dayside magnetopause, magnetic reconnection can occur in electron diffusion regions (EDRs) embedded into the larger ion diffusion regions (IDRs). These diffusion regions form when opposing magnetic field lines in the solar wind and Earth's magnetic field merge, releasing magnetic energy into the surrounding plasma. While previous studies have given us a general understanding of the structure of the diffusion regions, we still do not have a good grasp of how they are statistically differentiated from the non‐diffusion region magnetopause. By investigating 251 magnetopause crossings from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission, we demonstrate that EDR magnetopause crossings show current densities an order of magnitude higher than regular magnetopause crossings—crossings that either passed through the reconnection exhausts or through the non‐reconnecting magnetopause, providing a baseline for the magnetopause current sheet under a wide range of driving conditions. Significant current signatures parallel to the local magnetic field in EDR crossings are also identified, which is in contrast to the dominantly perpendicular current found in the regular magnetopause. Additionally, we show that the ion velocity along the magnetopause is highly correlated with a crossing's location, indicating the presence of magnetosheath flows inside the magnetopause.

Direct Observations of Reconnection Fronts in Earth's Turbulent Magnetosheath

Reconnection fronts (RFs), ion-scale magnetic transients characterized by dramatic enhancement of reconnected magnetic fields, have been documented as crucial energy transfer regions during magnetic reconnection. RFs have hitherto been observed only in the planetary (e.g., Earth, Saturn, Mars, and Venus) magnetotails. Whether RFs can exist in other magnetospheric regions remains unclear. Here, using high-cadence data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present the first observation of successive RFs in Earth's turbulent magnetosheath. The RFs were detected inside an ion diffusion region and several di (ion inertial length) away from reconnection X-line. In addition, we find that the strongest energy conversion occurs at the RF rather than at the X-line. The present observation indicates that RFs may be universal in the planetary magnetosphere and play a crucial role in the reconnection dynamics.

Observations of Locally Generated Whistler-mode Waves in the Martian Magnetotail Current Sheet

The whistler-mode wave is an electromagnetic wave that commonly occurs in space plasma and has been extensively studied, especially within the Earth's magnetosphere. They have also been reported in the near-Mars space, such as Martian upstream solar wind, crustal magnetic field, ionopause, and the magnetic reconnection ion diffusion region. However, the generation of whistler-mode waves in the Martian magnetotail current sheet is still unclear. Based on observations made by Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, we report whistler-mode waves observed within a train of proton-scale magnetic dips during a Martian magnetotail current sheet crossing. The linear growth rate analyses demonstrate that the whistler-mode waves are locally generated within the magnetic dips. Unlike in Earth's plasma environment, the train of magnetic dips in the Martian plasma sheet is attributed to electron mirror-mode instability. Our finding suggests that the mirror-mode structure in the Martian magnetotail can be an important source region for generating whistler-mode waves. This provides a new insight into how whistler-mode waves are generated in unmagnetized planets.

The force balance of electrons during kinetic anti-parallel magnetic reconnection

Fully kinetic simulations are applied to the study of 2D anti-parallel reconnection, elucidating the dynamics by which the electron fluid maintains force balance within both the ion diffusion region (IDR) and the electron diffusion region (EDR). Inside the IDR, magnetic field-aligned electron pressure anisotropy (pe∥≫pe⊥) develops upstream of the EDR. Compared to previous investigations, the use of modern computer facilities allows for simulations at the natural proton to electron mass ratio mi/me=1836. In this high-mi/me-limit, the electron dynamics change qualitatively, as the electron inflow to the EDR is enhanced and mainly driven by the anisotropic pressure. Using a coordinate system with the x-direction aligned with the reconnecting magnetic field and the y-direction aligned with the central current layer, it is well known that for the much studied 2D laminar anti-parallel and symmetric scenario the reconnection electric field at the X-line must be balanced by the ∂pexy/∂x and ∂peyz/∂z off-diagonal electron pressure stress components. We find that the electron anisotropy upstream of the EDR imposes large values of ∂pexy/∂x within the EDR, and along the direction of the reconnection X-line, this stress cancels with the stress of a previously determined theoretical form for ∂peyz/∂z. The electron frozen-in law is instead broken by pressure tensor gradients related to the direct heating of the electrons by the reconnection electric field. The reconnection rate is free to adjust to the value imposed externally by the plasma dynamics at larger scales.

Discovery of double Hall pattern associated with collisionless magnetic reconnection in dusty plasmas

ABSTRACT Magnetic reconnection is prevalent in magnetized plasmas in space and laboratories. Despite significant investigations on reconnection in electron–ion plasmas, studies of reconnection in magnetized plasmas with negatively charged dust grains are quite sparse. Here, we report the first fully kinetic simulations of collisionless reconnection in a three-species (i.e. electron, proton, and negatively charged dust grain) dusty plasma, through which the discovery of double Hall pattern is made. The double Hall pattern consists of a traditional Hall quadruple current in between the ion and electron diffusion region and a reversed Hall current in between the boundary of the ion and dust diffusion region. The analysis of the reconnection rate is also given. This study may be applicable to explain observations of planetary magnetospheres and the astrophysical objects, and may be realized in the laboratory studies of dusty plasmas.

Observation of the Hall Magnetic Reconnection As Close As 56 Solar Radii from the Sun

A few thin current layers were detected in the rear boundary of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) observed at 56 solar radii from the Sun as the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft approached the perihelion for the first time, and were caused by the interaction between the background solar wind and the rear boundary of the ICME. Among two of the current layers, the ion diffusion region of the Hall magnetic reconnection was directly detected, based on opposite ion jets, low-speed inflows, and the Hall effect. Both reconnection events were fast and occurred in the current layer with a small magnetic field shear angle and with significantly asymmetric magnetic field intensity as well as plasma between their two sides, i.e., an asymmetric magnetic reconnection with a strong guide field. A magnetic flux rope was detected inside one of the diffusion regions, indicating bursty reconnection. Additionally, multiple reconnection jets were detected inside the ICME and its rear boundary. Thus, we speculate that more ongoing reconnection events were occurring inside the ICME and its boundary. The observations suggested that fast Hall magnetic reconnection can occur as close as 56 solar radii from the Sun and plays a crucial role in ICME evolution.

Data Mining Inspired Localized Resistivity in Global MHD Simulations of the Magnetosphere

AbstractRecent advances in reconstructing Earth's magnetic field and associated currents by utilizing data mining of in situ magnetometer observations in the magnetosphere based on geomagnetic indices and solar wind parameters have proven remarkably accurate at reproducing observed ion diffusion regions. We investigate the effect of placing regions of localized resistivity in global simulations of the magnetosphere at specific locations inspired by the data mining results for the substorm occurring on 6 July 2017. When explicit resistivity is included, the simulation forms an x‐line at the same time and location as the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission observation of an ion diffusion region at 15:35 UT on that day. Without this explicit resistivity, reconnection forms later in the substorm and far too close to Earth (≳−15RE), a common problem with global simulations of Earth's magnetosphere. A consequence of reconnection taking place farther down the tail due to localized resistivity is that the reconnection outflows transport magnetic flux Earthward and thus prevent the current sheet from thinning enough for reconnection to take place nearer Earth. As these flows rebound tailward from the inner magnetosphere, they can temporarily and locally (in the dawn‐dusk direction) stretch the magnetic field allowing for small scale x‐lines to form in the near Earth region. Due to the narrow cross‐tail extent of these x‐lines (≲5RE) and their short lifespan (≲5 min), they would be difficult to observe with in situ measurements. Future work will explore time‐dependent resistivity using 5 min cadence data mining reconstructions.

In Situ Observations of Whistler-mode Waves in Magnetic Reconnection at Mars

Whistler-mode waves are one of the most important plasma waves potentially affecting the triggering and development processes of magnetic reconnection. They are widely present in the Earth’s reconnection ion diffusion region but have not yet been reported in Mars’. Based on in situ measurements from MAVEN, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission, we report for the first time whistler-mode waves in the ion diffusion region at the center of the current sheet in the Martian magnetotail. Simultaneously, pancake electron distributions with high temperature anisotropy are observed. Linear instability analyses imply that these unstable electrons can trigger the observed whistler-mode waves. Such findings not only fill the gap in observations of whistler-mode waves in the magnetic reconnection at Mars but also enrich our understanding of their generation mechanism in the reconnection region at unmagnetized planets.

Applying Magnetic Curvature to MMS Data to Identify Thin Current Sheets Relative to Tail Reconnection.

Thin current sheets (TCSs) have been postulated to be a necessary precondition for reconnection onset. Magnetic reconnection X-lines in the magnetotail have been observed to be more common duskward of midnight. We take advantage of the MMS tetrahedral formation during the 2017-2020 MMS tail seasons to calculate the thickness of the cross-tail neutral sheet relative to ion gyroradius. While a similar technique was applied to Cluster data, current sheet thickness over a broader range of radial distances has not been robustly explored before this study. We compare our analysis to recent theories regarding mechanisms of tail current sheet thinning and to recent simulations. We find MMS spent more than twice as long in ion-scale TCSs in the pre-midnight sector than post-midnight, despite nearly even plasma sheet dwell time. The dawn-dusk asymmetry in the distribution of Ion Diffusion Regions, as previously reported in relation to regions of TCSs, is also analyzed.

Power Anisotropy, Dispersion Signature and Turbulence Diffusion Region in the 3D Wavenumber Domain of Space Plasma Turbulence

We explore the multifaceted important features of turbulence (e.g., anisotropy, dispersion, and diffusion) in the three-dimensional (3D) wavenumber domain (k ∥, k ⊥,1, k ⊥,2), by employing the k-filtering technique to high-quality measurements of fields and particles from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) multi-spacecraft constellation. We compute the 3D power spectral densities (PSDs) of magnetic and electric field fluctuations (marked as PSD(δ B ( k )) and , respectively), both of which show a prominent spectral anisotropy in the sub-ion range. We give the first 3D image of the bifurcation between the power spectra of the electric and magnetic fluctuations, by calculating the ratio between and PSD(δ B ( k )), the distribution of which is related to the nonlinear dispersion relation. We also compute the ratio between electric spectra in different reference frames defined by the ion bulk velocity, , to visualize the turbulent ion diffusion region (T-IDR) in wavenumber space. The T-IDR has an anisotropy and a preferential direction of wavevectors, which is generally consistent with the plasma wave theory prediction based on the dominance of kinetic Alfvén waves. This work demonstrates the worth of the k-filtering technique in diagnosing turbulence comprehensively, especially when the electric field is involved.

Large-amplitude electrostatic fluctuations at the Earth’s magnetopause with a vortex-like distribution of hot electrons

Large-amplitude electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the Earth’s magnetopause are studied in a four-component plasma composed of a mixture of the magnetosheath and magnetosphere plasma of a cold, warm and hot electron populations, and background ions. The species are modeled as adiabatic fluids except for the hot electrons which have a kinetic vortex-like velocity distribution. The hybrid model uses the Sagdeev pseudopotential technique to study the arbitrary amplitude ion- and electron-acoustic solitons and double layers. The numerical computations reveal that for the parameters corresponding to magnetosphere side of the ion diffusion region, only slow electron-acoustic solitons and double layer can exist. On the magnetosheath side of the ion diffusion region, only the electron-acoustic/beam solitons can exist. The electric field amplitude of the electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) predicted by our model are consistent with the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations.

Stacked Electron Diffusion Regions and Electron Kelvin–Helmholtz Vortices within the Ion Diffusion Region of Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection

Abstract The structure of the electron diffusion region (EDR) is essential for determining how fast the magnetic energy converts to plasma energy during magnetic reconnection. Conventional knowledge of the diffusion region assumes that the EDR is a single layer embedded within the ion diffusion region (IDR). This paper reports the first observation of two EDRs that stack in parallel within an IDR by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. The oblique tearing modes can result in these stacked EDRs. Intense electron flow shear in the vicinity of two EDRs induced electron Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices, which subsequently generated kinetic-scale magnetic peak and holes, which may effectively trap electrons. Our analyses show that both the oblique tearing instability and electron Kelvin–Helmholtz instability are important in three-dimensional reconnection since they can control the electron dynamics and structure of the diffusion region through cross-scale coupling.

Theoretical studies of low and high frequency electrostatic solitary waves in the magnetopause associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection

In a comprehensive analysis of Cluster data, Graham et al. (2015) have reported the existence of slow and fast electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection arising from the merger of the magnetic fields, and mixing, of the hot tenuous magnetospheric plasma and the cooler dense magnetosheath plasma. Their analysis also reveals the presence of four electron species, two background Maxwellian distributions and a pair of counter-streaming electron beams. Using the measured plasma parameters and a plasma model consistent with the observations, together with an ion component for charge neutrality, we use fluid dynamic theory in an attempt to identify the plasma modes associated with the ESWs, as well as the polarity and admissible range in speed of the fast and slow structures. It can be inferred from the data sets in Figure 4 in Graham et al. (2015) obtained during the crossing of the Cluster satellites C3 and C4 of the separatrix near the ion diffusion region that the distributions of the two counterstreaming electron beams vary from having identical characteristics to showing small differences over the period during which the ESWs were observed. Accordingly, we align the theoretical parameters in our study with Cluster observations by considering the effect of identical and non-identical counterstreaming electron beam distributions on the existence of ESWs.

Spatial evolution of magnetic reconnection diffusion region structures with distance from the X-line

We report Magnetospheric Multiscale four-spacecraft observations of a thin reconnecting current sheet with weakly asymmetric inflow conditions and a guide field of approximately twice the reconnecting magnetic field. The event was observed at the interface of interlinked magnetic field lines at the flank magnetopause when the maximum spacecraft separation was 370 km and the spacecraft covered ∼1.7 ion inertial lengths (di) in the reconnection outflow direction. The ion-scale spacecraft separation made it possible to observe the transition from electron-only super ion-Alfvénic outflow near the electron diffusion region (EDR) to the emergence of sub-Alfvénic ion outflow in the ion diffusion region (IDR). The EDR to IDR evolution over a distance less than 2 di also shows the transition from a near-linear reconnecting magnetic field reversal to a more bifurcated current sheet as well as significant decreases in the parallel electric field and dissipation. Both the ion and electron heating in this diffusion region event were similar to the previously reported heating in the far downstream exhausts. The dimensionless reconnection rate, obtained four different ways, was in the range of 0.13–0.27. This event reveals the rapid spatial evolution of the plasma and electromagnetic fields through the EDR to IDR transition region.

Quantification of Cold-Ion Beams in a Magnetic Reconnection Jet

Cold (few eV) ions of ionospheric origin are widely observed in the lobe region of Earth’s magnetotail and can enter the ion jet region after magnetic reconnection is triggered in the magnetotail. Here, we investigate a magnetotail crossing with cold ions in one tailward and two earthward ion jets observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) constellation of spacecraft. Cold ions co-existing with hot plasma-sheet ions form types of ion velocity distribution functions (VDFs) in the three jets. In one earthward jet, MMS observe cold-ion beams with large velocities parallel to the magnetic fields, and we perform quantitative analysis on the ion VDFs in this jet. The cold ions, together with the hot ions, are reconnection outflow ions and are a minor population in terms of number density inside this jet. The average bulk speed of the cold-ion beams is approximately 38% larger than that of the hot plasma-sheet ions. The cold-ion beams inside the explored jet are about one order of magnitude colder than the hot plasma-sheet ions. These cold-ion beams could be accelerated by the Hall electric field in the cold ion diffusion region and the shrinking magnetic field lines through the Fermi effect.

The Micro‐Macro Coupling of Mass‐Loading in Symmetric Magnetic Reconnection With Cold Ions

AbstractWe investigate how magnetic reconnection is influenced by an inflow of a dense cold ion population. We compare two 2.5D Particle‐In‐Cell simulations, one containing the cold population and one without. We find that the cold population influences the reconnection process on both global and kinetic scales, and that the dominant contribution can be explained through mass‐loading. We provide an analysis of how these multiscale changes are related through kinetic processes in the ion diffusion region, the so‐called micro‐macro coupling of mass‐loading. The inertia of the cold ion population is found to be the significant link that connects the changes on different scales. The cold and warm populations exhibit counter streaming behavior when and after the ion diffusion region reorganizes itself in response to the arrival of the cold population. This signature of the cold population should be observable by spacecraft observatories such as MMS.

An Encounter With the Ion and Electron Diffusion Regions at a Flapping and Twisted Tail Current Sheet

AbstractWe analyze data returned by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) constellation during a rapid (∼1.5 s) traversal of a flapping and reconnecting current sheet (CS) in the near‐Earth magnetotail (X ∼−20 RE). The CS was highly tilted, with its normal pointing strongly duskward. Its extreme thinness was confirmed by a curvature analysis of the magnetic field lines. The event was associated with a guide field of 8% of the reconnecting components. From the pitch angle distributions of low‐energy electrons we infer a crossing earthward of the X‐line. Traveling practically normal to the CS, MMS encountered an ion diffusion region (IDR) in which was embedded an electron diffusion region (EDR). IDR signatures included breaking of the ion frozen‐in condition in the presence of Hall B and E fields. EDR signatures included a strong out‐of‐plane current associated with a superAlfvénic electron jet, positive energy transfer, and a temperature anisotropy (Te∥ > Te⊥) which disappeared at the field reversal. Derived scale sizes normal to the CS are: ∼6.9 de (EDR) and ∼0.4 di (IDR; 40 and 100 km). We estimate the average dimensionless reconnection rate as 0.077 ± 0.050. The observations and inferences are supported by particle‐in‐cell (PIC) numerical simulations. We find very good agreement in the reconnection rates. We also discuss the effects of asymmetries in the density, temperature and magnetic field strength on the Hall fields and length of the outflow jets. The event is associated with a substorm onset which began 7 min after the MMS observations.

Whistler and Broadband Electrostatic Waves in the Multiple X‐Line Reconnection at the Magnetopause

AbstractWe investigate whistler‐mode waves and broadband electrostatic waves (EWs) within an ion diffusion region (IDR) at the magnetopause. The quasi‐parallel whistlers are observed in the separatrix regions associated with the electron anisotropy or loss cone, while the oblique whistlers, the Buneman‐type waves, and the oblique EWs are observed in the center of the current sheet associated with the accelerated electron or ion beams. The whistlers are linked with Buneman‐type waves by the electron Pacman distribution rather than the wave‐wave process. The accelerated cold electron beams excite the Buneman‐type instabilities and make the anisotropy or loss cone of hot electrons less apparent, which led to the conversion of the whistlers from quasi‐parallel to oblique. Additionally, the oblique EWs are associated with the ion beams produced by the multiple X‐line reconnection. These results provide a further understanding of the relation between plasma waves and plasma kinetics in the IDR.