Reconnection at High Latitudes: Antiparallel Merging
Publication date: 20 February 2009
Authors: Dunlop, M.W. et al.
Journal: Phys. Rev. Lett.
Volume: 102
Issue: 7
ID: 075005
Year: 2009
Copyright: The American Physical Society
New investigations have renewed the debate on the occurrence of magnetic reconnection of Earth's dayside magnetopause. Here, we show for the first time strong evidence for a high-latitude reconnection site, located on initially closed field lines, where the magnetic field orientations inside and outside the magnetopause are close to antiparallel. The evidence centers on repeated sampling of the ion diffusion region and associated null magnetic field by four spacecraft in formation, together with simultaneous monitoring of the local magnetosheath behavior by a fifth spacecraft.
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