On the electron dynamics during island coalescence in asymmetric magnetic reconnection

TL;DR

This paper analyzes electron energization and temperature anisotropies during island coalescence in asymmetric magnetic reconnection, providing insights relevant for MMS mission observations.

Contribution

It identifies three distinct electron behavior regions during island merging, highlighting anisotropies, non-gyrotropies, and flat-top distributions linked to specific reconnection processes.

Findings

Electrons show temperature anisotropies and non-gyrotropies in different regions.

A flat-top electron distribution results from two-stream instability.

Distinct double agyrotropy structures are observed near high magnetic field regions.

Abstract

We present an analysis of the electron dynamics during rapid island merging in asymmetric magnetic reconnection. We consider a doubly periodic system with two asymmetric transitions. The upper layer is an asymmetric Harris sheet initially perturbed to promote a single reconnection site. The lower layer is a tangential discontinuity that promotes the formation of many X-points, separated by rapidly merging islands. Across both layers the magnetic field and the density have a strong jump, but the pressure is held constant. Our analysis focuses on the consequences of electron energization during island coalescence. We focus first on the parallel and perpendicular components of the electron temperature to establish the presence of possible anisotropies and non-gyrotropies. Thanks to the direct comparison between the two different layers simulated, we can distinguish three main types of behavior characteristic of three different regions of interest. The first type represents the regions where traditional asymmetric reconnections take place without involving island merging. The second type of regions instead show reconnection events between two merging islands. Finally, the third regions identifies the regions between two diverging island and where typical signature of reconnection is not observed. Electrons in these latter regions additionally show a flat-top distribution resulting from the saturation of a two-stream instability generated by the two interacting electron beams from the two nearest reconnection points. Finally, the analysis of agyrotropy shows the presence of a distinct double structure laying all over the lower side facing the higher magnetic field region. The distinguishing features found for the three types of regions investigated provide clear indicators to the recently launched MMS NASA mission for investigating magnetopause reconnection involving multiple islands.