Electron-to-ion Bulk Speed Ratio as a Parameter Reflecting the Occurrence of Strong Electron-dominated Current Sheets in the Solar Wind

dc.contributor.authorKhabarova, Olga
dc.contributor.authorBüchner, Jörg
dc.contributor.authorJain, Neeraj
dc.contributor.authorSagitov, Timothy
dc.contributor.authorMalova, Helmi
dc.contributor.authorKislov, Roman
dc.date.accessioned2022-07-11T11:38:22Z
dc.date.available2022-07-11T11:38:22Z
dc.date.issued2022-07-06
dc.date.updated2022-07-08T02:46:33Z
dc.description.abstractCurrent sheets (CSs) are preferred sites of magnetic reconnection and energy dissipation in astrophysical plasmas. Electric currents in them may be carried by both electrons and ions. In our prior theoretical studies of the CS formation in turbulent plasmas, we utilized fully kinetic and hybrid code simulations with ions considered as particles and electrons—as a massless fluid. We found that electron-dominated CSs in which electrons become the main carriers of the electric current and contributors to energy dissipation may form inside or nearby ion-dominated CSs. These structures represent a distinguished type of CSs and should not be mixed up with so-called electron-scale CSs. Current simulations show that such CSs are characterized by the electron-to-ion bulk speed ratio (ue/ui) increases that can be seen at ion scales according to theoretical predictions and high-resolution observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. Therefore, applying the ue/ui parameter to the solar wind data may allow locating the strongest electron-dominated CSs with an ordinary spacecraft resolution of 1−3 s. This study shows that, indeed, electron-dominated CSs observed during a period of quiet solar wind conditions at 1 au impact the surrounding plasma, which may be reflected in sharp changes of ue/ui. Electron-dominated CSs are found to be localized in the vicinity of ion-dominated CSs identified via changes in the magnetic field and plasma parameters, displaying the same clustering. We conclude that ue/ui may be used as one of the key parameters for statistical studies of CSs in the solar wind and analyzing the role of electrons in them.en
dc.description.sponsorshipDFG, 414044773, Open Access Publizieren 2021 - 2022 / Technische Universität Berlin
dc.identifier.eissn1538-4357
dc.identifier.issn0004-637X
dc.identifier.urihttps://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/17213
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-15992
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subject.ddc520 Astronomie und zugeordnete Wissenschaftende
dc.subject.othersolar winden
dc.subject.othercurrent sheetsen
dc.subject.otherCSen
dc.subject.otherastrophysical plasmasen
dc.subject.otherturbulent plasmasen
dc.titleElectron-to-ion Bulk Speed Ratio as a Parameter Reflecting the Occurrence of Strong Electron-dominated Current Sheets in the Solar Winden
dc.typeArticleen
dc.type.versionpublishedVersionen
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.articlenumber97en
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.doi10.3847/1538-4357/ac71aben
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.issue1en
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitleThe Astrophysical Journalen
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublishernameIOPen
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.originalpublisherplaceBristolen
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume933en
tub.accessrights.dnbfreeen
tub.affiliationFak. 2 Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften::Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysikde
tub.affiliation.facultyFak. 2 Mathematik und Naturwissenschaftende
tub.affiliation.instituteZentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysikde
tub.publisher.universityorinstitutionTechnische Universität Berlinen

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