Direct Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Onset via the Tearing Instability
Magnetic reconnection is a sporadic process responsible for energy release in space and laboratory plasmas. It is believed that the tearing mode instability may be responsible for the onset of reconnection in the magnetotail. However, due to its elusive nature, there is an absence of in-situ observa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2022.869491/full |
| _version_ | 1811296783222964224 |
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| author | Mayur R. Bakrania I. Jonathan Rae I. Jonathan Rae Andrew P. Walsh Daniel Verscharen Andy W. Smith Colin Forsyth Anna Tenerani |
| author_facet | Mayur R. Bakrania I. Jonathan Rae I. Jonathan Rae Andrew P. Walsh Daniel Verscharen Andy W. Smith Colin Forsyth Anna Tenerani |
| author_sort | Mayur R. Bakrania |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Magnetic reconnection is a sporadic process responsible for energy release in space and laboratory plasmas. It is believed that the tearing mode instability may be responsible for the onset of reconnection in the magnetotail. However, due to its elusive nature, there is an absence of in-situ observations of the tearing instability prior to magnetic reconnection in our nearest natural plasma laboratory. Using neural network outlier detection methods in conjunction with Cluster spacecraft data, we find unique electron pitch angle distributions that are consistent with simulation predictions of the tearing instability and the subsequent evolution of plasma electrons and reconnection. We evaluate tearing stability criterion for the events identified via our neural network outlier method, and find signatures of magnetic reconnection minutes after the majority of tearing observations. Our analysis of the tearing instability provides new insights into the fundamental understanding of the mechanism responsible for reconnection, a process that is ubiquitous in different astrophysical plasma regimes across the Universe and in laboratory experiments on Earth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:53:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f3407bd2ff0a430799d9cc6e9ae2ba59 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-987X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:53:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-f3407bd2ff0a430799d9cc6e9ae2ba592022-12-22T02:59:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences2296-987X2022-07-01910.3389/fspas.2022.869491869491Direct Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Onset via the Tearing InstabilityMayur R. Bakrania0I. Jonathan Rae1I. Jonathan Rae2Andrew P. Walsh3Daniel Verscharen4Andy W. Smith5Colin Forsyth6Anna Tenerani7Department of Space and Climate Physics, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Dorking, United KingdomDepartment of Space and Climate Physics, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Dorking, United KingdomDepartment of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering, University of Northumbria, Newcastle, United KingdomEuropean Space Astronomy Centre, ESA, Madrid, SpainDepartment of Space and Climate Physics, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Dorking, United KingdomDepartment of Space and Climate Physics, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Dorking, United KingdomDepartment of Space and Climate Physics, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Dorking, United KingdomDepartment of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United StatesMagnetic reconnection is a sporadic process responsible for energy release in space and laboratory plasmas. It is believed that the tearing mode instability may be responsible for the onset of reconnection in the magnetotail. However, due to its elusive nature, there is an absence of in-situ observations of the tearing instability prior to magnetic reconnection in our nearest natural plasma laboratory. Using neural network outlier detection methods in conjunction with Cluster spacecraft data, we find unique electron pitch angle distributions that are consistent with simulation predictions of the tearing instability and the subsequent evolution of plasma electrons and reconnection. We evaluate tearing stability criterion for the events identified via our neural network outlier method, and find signatures of magnetic reconnection minutes after the majority of tearing observations. Our analysis of the tearing instability provides new insights into the fundamental understanding of the mechanism responsible for reconnection, a process that is ubiquitous in different astrophysical plasma regimes across the Universe and in laboratory experiments on Earth.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2022.869491/fullspace plasma environmentsmagnetic reconnectiontearing instabilityneural network techniquesoutlier detection |
| spellingShingle | Mayur R. Bakrania I. Jonathan Rae I. Jonathan Rae Andrew P. Walsh Daniel Verscharen Andy W. Smith Colin Forsyth Anna Tenerani Direct Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Onset via the Tearing Instability Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences space plasma environments magnetic reconnection tearing instability neural network techniques outlier detection |
| title | Direct Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Onset via the Tearing Instability |
| title_full | Direct Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Onset via the Tearing Instability |
| title_fullStr | Direct Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Onset via the Tearing Instability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Direct Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Onset via the Tearing Instability |
| title_short | Direct Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection Onset via the Tearing Instability |
| title_sort | direct evidence of magnetic reconnection onset via the tearing instability |
| topic | space plasma environments magnetic reconnection tearing instability neural network techniques outlier detection |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspas.2022.869491/full |
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