Revealing the sub-structures of the magnetic reconnection separatrix via particle-in-cell simulation

	Revealing the sub-structures of the magnetic reconnection separatrix via particle-in-cell simulation
	Zhou, M.; Deng, X. H.; Pang, Y.; Huang, S. Y.; Yuan, Z. G.; Li, H. M.; Xu, X. J.; Wang, Y. H.; Yao, M.; Wang, D. D.
刊名	PHYSICS OF PLASMAS
	2012
卷号	19 期号:7 页码:72907
ISSN号	1070-664X
通讯作者	Zhou, M (reprint author), Nanchang Univ, Inst Space Sci & Technol, Nanchang 330031, Peoples R China.
中文摘要	Magnetic separatrix is an important boundary layer separating the inflow and outflow regions in magnetic reconnection. In this article, we investigate the sub-structures of the separatrix region by using two-and-half dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation. The separatrix region can be divided into two sub-regions in terms of the ion and electron frozen-in conditions. Far from the neutral sheet, ions and electrons are magnetized in magnetic fields. Approaching the neutral sheet, ion frozen-in condition is broken in a narrow region (similar to c/omega(pi)) at the edge of a density cavity, while electrons are frozen-in to magnetic fields. In this region, electric field E-z is around zero, and the convective term -(v(i) x B) is balanced by the Hall term in the generalized Ohm's law because ions carry the perpendicular current. Inside the density cavity, both ion and electron frozen-in conditions are broken. The region consists of two sub-ion or electron-scale layers, which contain intense electric fields. Formation of the two sub-layers is due to the complex electron flow pattern around the separatrix region. In the layer, E-z is balanced by a combination of Hall term and the divergence of electron pressure tensor, with the Hall term being dominant. Our preliminary simulation result shows that the separatrix region in guide field reconnection also contains two sub-regions: the inner region and the outer region. However, the inner region contains only one current layer in contrast with the case without guide field. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4739283]
英文摘要	Magnetic separatrix is an important boundary layer separating the inflow and outflow regions in magnetic reconnection. In this article, we investigate the sub-structures of the separatrix region by using two-and-half dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation. The separatrix region can be divided into two sub-regions in terms of the ion and electron frozen-in conditions. Far from the neutral sheet, ions and electrons are magnetized in magnetic fields. Approaching the neutral sheet, ion frozen-in condition is broken in a narrow region (similar to c/omega(pi)) at the edge of a density cavity, while electrons are frozen-in to magnetic fields. In this region, electric field E-z is around zero, and the convective term -(v(i) x B) is balanced by the Hall term in the generalized Ohm's law because ions carry the perpendicular current. Inside the density cavity, both ion and electron frozen-in conditions are broken. The region consists of two sub-ion or electron-scale layers, which contain intense electric fields. Formation of the two sub-layers is due to the complex electron flow pattern around the separatrix region. In the layer, E-z is balanced by a combination of Hall term and the divergence of electron pressure tensor, with the Hall term being dominant. Our preliminary simulation result shows that the separatrix region in guide field reconnection also contains two sub-regions: the inner region and the outer region. However, the inner region contains only one current layer in contrast with the case without guide field. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4739283]
学科主题	空间物理
收录类别	SCI ; EI
资助信息	National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [41004060, 40890163, 41174147]; Specialized Research Fund for State Key Laboratories, and Scientific Research Program of Education Department of Jiangxi Province [GJJ11049]
语种	英语
公开日期	2014-12-15
内容类型	期刊论文
源URL	[http://ir.nssc.ac.cn/handle/122/3076]
专题	国家空间科学中心_空间科学部
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Zhou, M.,Deng, X. H.,Pang, Y.,et al. Revealing the sub-structures of the magnetic reconnection separatrix via particle-in-cell simulation[J]. PHYSICS OF PLASMAS,2012,19(7):72907.
APA	Zhou, M..,Deng, X. H..,Pang, Y..,Huang, S. Y..,Yuan, Z. G..,...&Wang, D. D..(2012).Revealing the sub-structures of the magnetic reconnection separatrix via particle-in-cell simulation.PHYSICS OF PLASMAS,19(7),72907.
MLA	Zhou, M.,et al."Revealing the sub-structures of the magnetic reconnection separatrix via particle-in-cell simulation".PHYSICS OF PLASMAS 19.7(2012):72907.