Spreading of magnetic reconnection by electron scale dispersive waves

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that magnetic reconnection on electron scales propagates in a wave-like manner influenced by guide magnetic fields, affecting the symmetry and speed of spreading through dispersive wave modes.

Contribution

It reveals the wave-like spreading mechanism of magnetic reconnection at electron scales and how guide magnetic fields influence its symmetry and speed.

Findings

Reconnection spreads bi-directionally with wave-like behavior.

Guide magnetic fields affect the symmetry of spreading.

Reconnection wave causes formation of X- and O-points.

Abstract

We show that on electron scales a patch of the localized magnetic reconnection spreads bi-directionally in a wave like fashion when an external guide-magnetic field in the direction of the electron current is present. The spreading is caused by the propagation of the flow induced and whistler wave modes away from the localized patch. For small guide fields, the spreading is asymmetric being faster in the direction of the electron flow. On increasing the guide field, the spreading becomes increasingly symmetric due to the dominance of the whistler group speed in determining the speed of the spreading. The wave-like spreading of reconnection causes the alternate formation of X- and O-points in the reconnection planes separated by half the wavelength of the reconnection wave.