Topside Reconnection
Space Physics
2020-10-08 v1 Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Geophysics
Plasma Physics
Abstract
It is proposed that reconnection would be a main mechanism governing the plasma processes on auroral time scales in the topside ionosphere/high-latitude magnetosphere transition. It occurs in the downward current region between two narrow parallel closely spaced though separated downward current sheets. The field-aligned currents are carried by upward cold upper-ionospheric electrons closing the upward current in an adjacent region. This local process does primarily not affect the ambient field but generates an anomalous diffusivity.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2009.00910,
title = {Topside Reconnection},
author = {R. A. Treumann and Wolfgang Baumjohann},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2009.00910},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
13 pages, 4 Figures