Observational Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection in the Terrestrial Foreshock Region

TL;DR

This paper provides direct observational evidence that magnetic reconnection occurs in the Earth's foreshock region, leading to electron heating and acceleration, which may influence shock dynamics and particle acceleration processes.

Contribution

It is the first to directly observe magnetic reconnection in the terrestrial foreshock region using MMS data, highlighting its role in electron energization.

Findings

Detection of super-Alfvénic electron outflows

Observation of crescent electron distributions

Significant energy transfer from fields to particles

Abstract

Electron heating/acceleration in the foreshock, by which electrons may be energized beyond thermal energies prior to encountering the bow shock, is very important for the bow shock dynamics. And then these electrons would be more easily injected into a process like diffusive shock acceleration. Many mechanisms have been proposed to explain electrons heating/acceleration in the foreshock. Magnetic reconnection is one possible candidate. Taking advantage of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present two magnetic reconnection events in the dawn-side and dusk-side ion foreshock region, respectively. Super-Alfv\'enic electron outflow, demagnetization of the electrons and the ions, and crescent electron distributions in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field are observed in the sub-ion-scale current sheets. Moreover, strong energy conversion from the fields to the plasmas and significant electron temperature enhancement are observed. Our observations provide direct evidence that magnetic reconnection could occur in the foreshock region and heat/accelerate the electrons therein.