Double Magnetic Reconnection Driven by Kelvin-Helmholtz Vortices W. Horton1, M. Faganello2, F. Pegoraro2 F.Califano3 and D. Borgogno3 1University of Texas at Austin, USA 2Aix-Marseille University, France 3University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy 13th International Conference on Substorms 25-29 September 2017 Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA

Solar Wind Driven Magnetosphere https://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Runs with input data from ACE satellite for Rectified V-Bsw, Newell and Siscoe drivers L. Mays, W. Horton, J. Kozyra, T. H. Zurbuchen, C. Huang, and E. Spencer, GR Lts 34, L11104, doi:10.1029/2007GL029844 E. Spencer, W. Horton, M. L. Mays, I. Doxas, and J. Kozyra (2007), Analysis of the 3-7 October 2000 and 15-24 April 2002, Geomagnetic Storms.., J. Geophys. Res. 112, A04S90, doi:10.1029/ 2006JA012019 P. Brady; T. Ditmire,W. Horton, M. L. Mays, and Y. Zakharov, Laboratory Experiments Simulating Solar Wind Driven Magnetospheres, Phys. of Plasmas 16, (2009). Q: What happens for V-Bsw=0?

Kelvin-Helmholtz along the Flanks of Magnetopause produces North-South advected twisted magnetic fields from unstable boundary regions M. Faganello, F. Califano, and F. Pegoraro, PRL 100, 015001 (2008) D. Borgogno, F. Califano, M. Faganello, and F. Pegoraro, Phys. of Plasmas 22,032301(2015) A. Otto and D. H. Fairfield, J. Geophys. Res. 105, 21175, doi:10.1029/ 1999JA000312 (2000)


Kelvin-Helmholtz Driven Magnetic Reconnection on Magnetopause Solar wind driven magnetic reconnection on the flanks of the magnetopause starts with 3D with Alfven waves. Kelvin-Helmholtz [KH] vortices drive couple pairs of magnetic reconnection regions off the equatorial mid-plane. 3D simulations/theory show the predicted secular growth of magnetic reconnection regions that mix the solar wind plasma and the magnetospheric plasma. Exponential growth evolves to secular nonlinear reconnection creating dB-stresses far from the region where KH vortices twist the B-vectors. Generated dB and particle fluxes consistent with structures measured by THEMIS and MMS [Vernisse etal. JGR 2016]

Solar Wind Driven Magnetosphere

Double reconnection pairs of open and closed field lines are observed THEMIS. Reconnection occurring in the northern hemisphere creates braiding in the southern hemisphere through Alfven wave connections. THEMIS data is in agreement with the double MRC closing Earthward magnetic field lines several seconds before the detection of the fast electron particle fluxes. Reconnection brings fast solar wind ions into the inner magnetosphere. White ellipse marks the dense electron beams measured in the magnetospheric arms by THEMIS. M. Faganelo et al. EPL, 107 (2014) 19001 doi: 10.1209/0295-5075/107/19001 THEMIS data for ion and electron energy [eV] fluxes versus time for different pitch angles with respect to the local magnetic field.

Kelvin-Helmholtz Vortices Drive Double mid-latitude Magnetic Reconnection inside the Magnetosphere M. Faganello, F. Califano, F. Pegoraro and A. Retino Europhys. Lett. 107, 19001 (2014). D. Borgono et al Phys. Plasmas 22, 032301 (2015)

Summary and Conclusions KH driven magnetic reconnection on flanks of magnetopause transports solar wind plasma into the inner magnetosphere at midlatitudes consistent with theory. Mixing during Northward IMF by magnetic reconnection explains THEMIS data showing dense - lower temperature solar wind plasma inside the magnetopause at midlatitudes. 3D Simulations show mid-latitude reconnection mixing solar wind plasma in the inner magnetosphere across wide region of magnetopause flanks. Effective diffusivity from reconnection is sufficient to explain the observations of THEMSIS and the recent MMS observation [Vernisse etal. 2017]. Mid-latitude reconnection occurs at same time as the “classical” vortex reconnection on the mid-plane [Keppens et al. PoP2017]. Grants: Applied Research Laboratory, the Institute for Fusion Studies, University of Texas at Austin and PIIM Aix-Marseille University and … . Summary and Conclusions We’d like to make conclusions.